88 Moments of Seto&Joey
by MargeryDoe
Summary: Puppyshipping. And lots of it. Collection of oneshots full of Seto and Joey. Rated T for sexual content and language. Rating may vary from oneshot to oneshot. BEING REVAMPED. 43- Sequel to Kodomo. Seto returns to school! And he's got some plans for Joey!
1. Sleepovers

Author's Note: Welcome. I hope you can enjoy. (:

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in these oneshots.

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Sleepovers

"Yeah, I'm up for a movie." Joey said as he shoved a handful of popcorn into his mouth leaning against the counter where the massive popcorn bowl sat.

Seto half frowned and snatched the bowl away from him, "Of course you are, that's why I had you make popcorn." He glared down at the blonde who blinked through a mouthful of popcorn.

Then when the brunette passed into the other room, Joey scowled. "If I made dat, why do ya got ta be in charge of it?" He muttered but followed Seto.

"Which movie are we watchin'?"

Seto was pushing a disk into the silver DVD player sitting under the large, flat screen television on the far wall. His ice blue eyes flicked back over his shoulder at Joey then to the couch, "You'll see."

The popcorn bowl was sitting in the middle of the couch, tilted slightly to the side. Joey grabbed it up, blinking his chocolate brown eyes as he plopped down onto the cushions. "As long as it isn't too long, I hav'ta work tomorrow. And I got t'get up early."

Seto could only nod once to keep from smiling. He was sure that sleeping would be the last thing on Joey's mind. The genre of the movie... It was such a good plan, he almost couldn't keep the smirk off his face.

As he dropped down on the cushion next to Joey's, although several inches away, Seto grabbed the remote. Joey stuffed another handful of popcorn into his mouth, glancing to Seto, "What's it about?" He asked innocently, unaware of the horror he was about to face.

"Oh." Seto said slowly, drawing it out. He couldn't help it, a smirk slid onto his face perfectly. "Its a newer film. I'm sure it'll be amusing." He pressed the play button quickly, letting the movie roll on.

Joey held the bowl of popcorn in his lap as he smiled, "So its a comedy?" He asked lightly as Seto dimmed down the lights in his large living room.

"Not exactly."

Joey blinked, looking back to the screen as it crackled, showing static that blurred into the movie title. Seto could feel Joey flinch back as a scream rang through the room from the speakers. "Uh, moneybags..." He stuttered as the dreary setting flickered into view.

"What is it, mutt? Feeling the jitters?" Seto smirked again, he looked to Joey from the corner of his eyes, staring him down, daring him to admit the obvious.

Joey couldn't stand Seto being right, especially when he was feeling proud about it. So he lied."Nah, o-of course not." Joey laughed it off, although it was loud, nervous laughter that Seto saw through immediately. He watched Joey shovel popcorn in his mouth.

_You eat more when you're scared Wheeler._

The movie continued rolling, the creepy music playing through the house quite loudly. Seto had made sure of several things when he had invited the mutt over. One, that Mokuba was at his own friend's house and was staying there over night. Two, he made sure to turn up the sound on the speakers so not even the scamper of a mouse could be unheard in the film. And three, Seto Kaiba made SURE the movie he had picked was a horror film, the one type of genre that Joey hated. It was the PERFECT set up. There were no flaws. He let himself enjoy a small laugh, as perfect as he was.

Joey gripped the bowl tightly in his hands, watching the girl walk slowly, so slowly up the stairs. He licked his lips, swallowing roughly. Maybe Joey was just being a bit paranoid, but he was beginning to think Seto had picked a scary movie to watch with him on purpose. Her hand grazed the doorknob and Joey gritted his teeth, sinking back farther into the couch cushions. As the door flew open she screamed, several terrifying images flickering across the screen.

Joey cried out in pure terror, popcorn flying up into the air, scattering everywhere.

"Joey..."

There was no answer.

"Joey."

Seto felt another smile grace his features as he ruffled the blonde's hair as Joey hid his face into Seto's side. He was shaking all over and had gripped Kaiba's regular black button up in strong fists. So cute, he thought to himself, this was why he liked the mutt so much.

"Joey, come on, let's finish the movie. Unless you're too scared to." He coaxed, hoping either Joey would take the bait or show him some more of his cute behavior. The mutt frowned, slowly sitting back up only to squeak in fear at a shadow that flew across the screen. He slapped his hands over his mouth, taking in a deep breath.

Seto smiled, yeah, this was definitely going to be amusing.

Joey was still shaking as the end credits rolled into a finish. The pillow he had gripped to his chest was clutched tightly in his white knuckled hands. Seto was sitting by the arm of the chair, his fist supporting his chin. The movie had been a bore, the horror shallow, the acting disgusting but Joey's reaction to it, well that had been MUCH more interesting.

"Joey-"

The blonde screamed at the sound of his name making Seto raise an eyebrow in confusion and look him up and down with suspicion.

"Uh, I mean...yeah?" He mumbled quickly, blushing with embarrassment into the pillow's soft surface.

"Was that too scary for a little pup like you?" He smirked, standing up from the couch as he stood over Joey.

The blonde stared up at him, half hiding his face behind the pillow as his big eyes watched him. Then he shook his head quietly. "No, of course n-not..." He pursed his lips, frowning as if he couldn't help his disappointment in his small lie.

"Well, then I guess you can go home now..." Seto said non-chalantly, peering down at Joey from the corner of his eye. All he had to do was word it right and the could wrap the pup around his pinky finger.

Joey's frown deepened as he buried his face into the pillow, "Y...Yeah, I guess so..."

Timid wasn't one of Joey's usual reactions. He was USUALLY loud, obnoxious, annoying and hot headed but this caused Seto to see him in a different light. And it wasn't too bad.

"Unless..."

Joey glanced up, curiosity gleaming in his eyes, "Unless?" He repeated.

"Unless you want to spend the night, it is pretty late." Seto offered casually, shrugging his shoulders as if he didn't care, "I can have my limo driver take you to work tomorrow."

"Spend the night? Man, I didn't know you were the type for sleepovers..." Joey's face spread into his lop-sided grin. Seto narrowed his eyes menacingly, feeling a slight bit annoyed that the mutt had made him feel like his offer was unreasonable.

"But yeah, I've never stayed the night in a mansion before." Joey stood up, giving Seto a warm, puppy like smile. "Where's my room?"

Seto began leading Joey down the hall, feeling rather accomplished. Maybe, in a way, inviting the mutt to stay the night was unreasonable for him but it didn't mean he wasn't content with it. After all, it WAS his first real sleepover.


	2. The Dentist Office

Author's Note: Well, I wrote this after going to the dentist. Don't be surprised now.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters, except for the dentist, in this fanfiction.

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The Dentist Office

Joey Wheeler squirmed in the leather chair, making the paper protector under him crinkle. His eyes were locked on the clock, watching the seconds click by, feeling his stomach clench tighter at the sound of another high-pitched drill. The florescent lights gleamed down on him and Seto Kaiba, who stood completely still near the wall with his arms folded.

He had agreed to take Joey down to the dentist office for a filling after the mutt had continuously complained about an aching tooth. Seto had always had perfect teeth, which meant perfect check-ups, so he didn't have a problem with the dentist office. But apparently Joey did. Seto slowly opened his eyes, locking them onto the mutt who continued to stare at the clock. He almost wanted to scowl, _staring won't make the time go faster._ He shifted his weight slightly, feeling Joey's anxiety from where he was standing. His eyes flicked over to his briefcase sitting on the visitor's chair. At least he brought his work laptop, so if this took any longer than his attention span, he could work. Maybe he could master a way to defeat that little punk Yugi in a duel-

"Seto...?" A small, nervous voice asked. It sounded a lot like the mutt, but he never used pathetic voices like that.

Seto looked over to Joey who was slumped over the chair with his legs hanging off the side, barely grazing the floor tiles. He had his hand between his legs, pushing on the edge of the seat, his shoulders hunched forward a bit. His big brown eyes were giving that puppy dog look but he was grimacing with bright pink cheeks. As if whatever he was about to say hurt him.

Seto felt an inward smile, whatever forced Joey to look so cute should definitely be amusing. He stared at the blonde, willing him to speak his mind.

Joey thrust out one of his hands, quickly avoiding any eye contact with the brunette. His cheeks burned deeper red as he quickly burst out, "When the doc comes t'give me the shot, will you hold my hand?"

Seto felt his eyebrows furrow, his lips curving into a frown. Yes, he did think the mutt calling the DENTIST the 'doc' was adorable. Yes, he did want to see how soft or callous his hands were. And yes, Seto Kaiba did think that this dumb, loud mouthed mutt was cute. ...But holding HANDS? In public? Well, of course the answer was... "You stupid dog, holding hands in a public area? I'm Seto Kaiba, the CEO of Kaiba corp. I'm not going to hold your hand."

Joey put on a pouting face, staring down at the floor, "I know who ya are." He mumbled, his eyes glancing up as the tall, young dentist walked into the small back area where Joey's seat was. "Hello, Joey Wheeler. I'm your dentist for today." He smiled pleasantly, repositioning his glasses with one hand while holding out the other to shake with Joey.

Joey hesitantly shook hands, nodding in response. Seto sighed inwardly, if the dentist freaked him out so much, he shouldn't have complained about his teeth. The dentist instructed him to lay down on the chair where sat on a swivel chair next to him, snapping on a pair of gloves rather menacingly. The mutt swallowed nervously, staring at the dentist with wide eyes. "Now, I have to numb your mouth, so you don't feel the drilling." The man announced, pulling up his face mask to the ridge of his perfect shaped nose. His eyes twinkled as he examined the needle, "Perfect."

Joey felt a small scream catch in his throat as his hands gripped the fabric of his faded jeans. "Open your mouth..." The dentist cooed, holding up the shiny, large needle at a dangerous angle towards Joey's face.

The panic gripped in Joey's chest, constricting his already slowed breathing. He knew this had been a bad idea, he should have just dealt with the tooth aching! Damn, _what was I thinkin'-_

A smooth, soft surface brushed one of his white knuckled, shaking hands. He blinked, staring towards the person who had now grasped his hand firmly. Seto.

"Ah-"

"Shh, be quiet mutt. Take your shots like a good dog and maybe I'll let your grungy ass stay over at my place for the night."

So maybe, just this one time, visiting to the dentist won't be SO bad.


	3. Eating on the Couch

Author's Note: Inspired by Just What I Needed by the Cars.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

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Eating on the Couch

Seto thought about what he enjoyed to spend his time doing. He was sure he enjoyed getting work done. That was a given, why would he such a successful businessman if he didn't? He enjoyed spending certain periods of time with his little brother, Mokuba. If he was in a good mood that is. As he pondered this, sitting at the desk at school, he was called on.

"Seto, what's the answer to number eight?"

He sighed, school was such a bother. _If that law didn't insist I had to be here_, _I would certainly NEVER be here._ He leaned a bit farther back into his chair, his arms folded across his chest tightly. With an annoyed snort, Seto replied, "Forty two."

The teacher blinked but mumbled, "Correct." She had been SURE Kaiba hadn't been paying attention. Then again, he always knew the right answer. She began to wonder why she continued to try with him when there was a perfect victim _sleeping_ right in front of her.

Her furious eyes dropped down onto Joey Wheeler. _Slacker_. He had his blonde head was resting on top his folded arms. Of course, he had slept many times in her class. Usually, she would let it go, brush it off; he was going to probably be here for summer school anyway. But she was feeling rather cruel today.

"Joey Wheeler!" The teacher snapped, slapping a ruler against her desk. It made the students in the front row of students, save Joey, flinch with the intensity. "Joey Wheeler, wake up and answer question number nine!"

Blinking his sleepy, glazed brown eyes, the blonde stared at her making a sound like, "Ehr?" He lifted his head up only enough to rest his chin on his arms.

Seto watched him with his sharp blue eyes, sure the feeling in his chest was just his annoyance with the mutt. Unless, Seto blinked slowly, letting another thought flicker across his mind, another possibility. _No. That was definitely. Not. It._

Joey stiffened, straightening up in his seat with baffled shock. "How m'I supposed t'solve that?" He exclaimed, his eyes jumping across the numbers and variables, trying desperately to somewhat wrap his brain around the equation.

The teacher narrowed her eyes, "If you had been paying attention, maybe you'd know." Her sharp words were followed with her whipping the ruler into her other hand. Menacingly.

The blonde student folded his arms, his face skeptical. Pursing his lips, Joey retorting, "Even if I had been payin' ya any attention, I still wouldn't have gotten it."

Seto wanted to roll his eyes, the mutt was only delaying his wrong answer. He was only wasting time and distracting the teacher from her teaching. Seto half frowned, his eyes dancing with the same sudden thought. With disconcerted hesitance, Seto's eyes trailed to the back of the blonde former delinquent.

xxx

Joey laid casually on the big, expensive couch in Kaiba's living room with his long legs hanging off the arm a bit. He had them crossed at the ankles, still wearing most of his uniform from school that day. Everything except the jacket, he felt it was stifling.

He pushed several chips into his mouth, ignoring the fact that Seto hated him eating on the furniture. Then Joey turned the page in the book he was reading. Although it was just a manga.

Seto worked late on days like these and Mokuba was almost never home at this hour. Little runt had so many friends. So Joey was left alone in his landlord's home. It only meant he was going to ravage the kitchen and eat all over the couch.

The sound of the door rattling open rang through the home and Joey perked up. No answer, only footsteps. It was definitely Seto Kaiba. Joey pushed another chip in his mouth as Seto walked into the room, brown eyes aglow with the return of the brunette. Although Seto never announced he was home, Joey knew when it was him.

But the reasoning behind him not replying when walking in the door was still a mystery. Joey couldn't decide if it was either, he was so used to having no one at home when he got there, that he just couldn't form the habit or he just didn't care. Joey leaned towards the latter. Seto stopped as he walked past the couch and stared down at the blonde, "...You're eating on the couch again." He stated, those ice eyes hardening with frustration and annoyance.

Joey glanced to the bag of chips then rocked onto his knees, leaning against the back of the couch, staring Kaiba eye to eye. "Its 'cause its more comfy here than at the table." He smiled simply.

"But it makes the couch dirty."

"Its leather, it doesn't do that."

Seto sniffed, displeased that Joey had been right. "Quit being such a mutt and eat like a regular person."

"Hey!" Joey exclaimed, frowning as he leaned up into Seto's face. The brown eyes seemed even brighter when angry. "Tha's uncalled for!" As he jabbed a furious finger at Seto, he shouted, "I'm not eatin' off the floor or nuthin'!"

Seto smirked, folding his arms as he raised his eyebrows, mocking Joey. When he made such cute faces there was going to be no end to the teasing. "You might as well be."

Joey slammed his hands on the couch, making a loud slapping sound with the collision of skin against leather. "Dammit, Seto! Ya know, its not a crime t'eat on the couch!"

"Its basically a crime to break the rules of the person you're mooching off of."

After a long and heated discussion, to put it lightly, Seto noticed he'd spent a good deal of time arguing with this mutt. He'd never much liked arguments, except for the matter of just winning against someone. But he also noticed that he wasn't arguing with the blonde to win, but to monopolize his time.

As the mutt scrambled for a good comeback, Seto ruffled Joey's hair, feeling the soft locks between his fingers, "I don't mind you wasting my time." Then, feeling accomplished and quite ready to start working again, Seto walked away. _Work and play go hand in hand._

Joey blinked, "Eh? The argument...?" He called after Seto, confused, then he looked back to the bag of chips and went right back to what he had been doing, waiting for the brunette to return. He enjoyed Seto 'wasting his time' too.


	4. Thoughts

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

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Thoughts

Seto's sharp blue eyes grazed across the almost empty classroom, his fingers taking a simple moment of rest from the intense typing on his laptop. The only other student in the classroom was the class dope, Joey Wheeler. He was sitting in his seat, which was in the front row, scribbling out a quick homework assignment due after lunch. Seto narrowed his eyes and wrinkled his nose slightly in distaste. _Of course the mutt was doing his homework in class._

Seto's seat was behind Joey's, several chairs back. With a small roll of his eyes directed at the unsuspecting blonde, he decided to get back to work. No distractions, especially not by Wheeler. Proficiency was a must when it came to his business.

Joey continued to stutter along on the worksheet for math, stopping only to give himself a minute to think the question through. Seto paused again, which was strange on his part because he could usually think and work at the same time as he was always coming up with less than brilliant schemes to beat Yugi at duel monsters while working. Less than brilliant because they never seemed to pull through for him. _Dammit_, Seto frowned at the horrid thought. His eyes found Joey's back again which pulled him into another thought. A much different thought, one that wasn't about to leave him alone.

The sounds of footsteps made Joey glance over to the side of his desk where Seto Kaiba stood. "Wha'?" He asked, looking back to his paper then once again to Seto.

"I've decided something." The CEO announced in his usual monotone voice, staring down at the blonde with laptop sitting in his hand by his side. "And I won't get any work done till its been announced."

There was a quiet pause in between them until Joey slowly straightened up, wondering what the brunette could possibly want to tell him, of all people. "What's that?"

"I'm going to fall in love with you."

Another pause was shared between the two, only because Joey needed a moment to let these words set in his brain. Seto continued to stare down at Joey with his sharp blue eyes in his usual icy manor. The blonde looked to Seto Kaiba very calmly, his brown, chocolate eyes staring at the him. Their eyes met and the brunette held Joey's stare just as strongly. Then Joey sprung out of his chair, slamming his hands against the tabletop, shouting a loud, "Say WHAT?"

Seto smirked, narrowing his eyes at the mutt. Although there was a smirk on his face and his words were still as cold as ever. "Don't make me repeat myself, Wheeler."

Joey's eyes were wide in utter shock, the words were ringing in his ears. Now, he hadn't had many love confessions, but it was to say it was probably a first from a guy. A guy who was supposedly his mortal enemy. _Definitely _a first.

He clenched a tight fist and opened his mouth to say something but in his shock Seto had slid his hands into his pockets and just walked out the classroom door. Coming and going just like that.

Joey stomped an angry foot, chasing after him, "MONEYBAGS!" He shouted, shaking his fist around like a madman, "Wha' da hell? YOU!" He pointed to the brunette who only paused to look over his shoulder, giving Joey a chance to say something. "You can't just tell me dat and walk off!"

Seto stared at him as Joey frowned and snapped like a rabid dog, becoming even more upset that Seto seemed to be unphased by his screaming, "Whatta yah got t'say for yerself?"

Seto took a moment, closing his eyes. There was a silence between them that Joey took as a victory. But he felt a sudden aura from the brunette that told him _this wasn't over._

"Mutt." Seto said as he smirked to Joey over his shoulder, his comeback a punch in the gut, "The answer you got on number five... is completely wrong." Then the CEO slid around the corner of the hallway leaving Joey to tremble with anger and scream, "SETO!"


	5. A Bet

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

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A Bet

Seto's eyes flicked over the blonde's thin shoulder, looking to his hands which were flipping through his duel monster cards, using the desk as cover from the teacher. _As usual,_ Seto thought blandly while watching the mutt idly, _He's not paying attention._ His chin found his palm simply.

The substitute that had been hired was making it far too easy to ignore her anyway. She stuttered the lesson for the day from behind a piece of paper that her shaking, mouse-like hands held. None of the other students seemed to be paying any attention either, maybe except for Tea who believed school was quite important. Her eyes seemed to be aglow with the learning sensation, her pencil posed to write anything and everything.

Seto would've been working on his laptop but it was being repaired several of his employees as Mokuba had accidentally knocked it off the table that morning before school. _Damn it all. I'm behind on work._ Seto frowned at the thought, still watching Joey.

The blonde paused, staring down at his favorite card, giving it a caress from his thumb. Seto narrowed his eyes slightly, raising one eyebrow. _The mutt must really treasure that card. It must be the best card in his deck too..._

"That card," Seto let his words slip into Joey's ear while the teacher was scrambling around her desk, looking frantic and distracted, "Will never beat me. You might as well start looking for a new favorite card."

Joey blushed at the brunette's breath against his skin but he hissed back, glancing to the teacher, "Shuddup, stupid. I can beat ya anytime, anywhere WITH ma favorite card."

Seto smirked, giving Joey's ear a little blow, which made the blonde flinch down in surprise, as he whispered back, "Wanna bet, Wheeler?"

xxx

Joey had proudly accepted the bet, boasting loudly to everyone that he was going to win and make Seto Kaiba grovel on his knees before him. Then after making Seto grovel, Joey had decided that he was going to make the CEO wear a dog suit in front of the whole school for payback for every 'mutt' insult the brunette had ever let slip between his smirking lips.

They HAD made the wager that whoever won was allowed to make the other do whatever they pleased. And although Joey bragged and taunted what he was going to do when he won the duel. But Seto hadn't contributed to any of the gatherings, and nobody but the brunette himself knew what he was planning.

Joey shrugged off the idea of Seto winning, his pride and the adrenaline of a duel blinding his eyes from the fact that Seto was a brilliant duelist. And even after Yugi had warned Joey, the blonde still walked with a confident swagger.

And that's how Joey ended up half naked save the tight leather pants and stylish yet feminine boots, wrapping one leg awkwardly around a pole in the middle of one of Seto's private offices.

Seto smirked, although it was half hidden by the half fist he rested his chin upon while he sat at one of his office chairs. The sharp blue eyes never left Joey once, stalking across his body with a beast like glow. This only made the blonde blush more than he had been before, embarrassment stinging his cheeks and wrenching at his gut. He felt as though he might just pass out from the light headed rush that swarmed his head. He was definitely ashamed, he was a man, but it was also a blow to his ego. He'd had his ass handed to him on a silver platter.

They stayed in silence except for when Seto would give slight instructions on how to do the job right. Seto finally stood from his office chair with a swift motion. The blonde stopped and just loosely held onto the silver piece of cylindrical metal. His eyes lit up with relief, "Am I done? Ya finish bein' a perv, can I go home?"

Seto grabbed Joey's waist, yanking him away from pole, "No, I'm just so amused by your clumsy way of dancing that I thought, why not get a real treat out of this and milk it for all its worth?" Seto started, giving Joey a wicked smirk, while staring into his brown eyes. "I mean, I did hand your ass to you, but frankly.."

Joey swallowed nervously, he did NOT like where this explanation was going. He could feel himself instinctively trying to shrink away from Seto's tight grip.

"I'd really like it back." Seto said smoothly, his hand slamming into Joey's chest, knocking him back down onto the desk.

"WARGH!" Joey shouted out, flailing his arms. "Yer crazy-" He only began to exclaim before throwing his head back with the sudden shiver of pleasure that stopped his mind from reeling with thoughts of escape. Seto was _good._

So losing the bet had its benefits too.


	6. A Grilled Cheese and a Question

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

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A Grilled Cheese and a Question

"Seto, Seto, ya put the bread down on d'side that's buttered."

"Oh."

"Like this." There was a sizzling sound followed by a couple foot steps with the fridge door swishing opening, "What kind a cheese do ya want, Moneybags?"

"Any kind will do."

This was the conversation Mokuba heard while he brushed his teeth that morning. And as he listened to his brother and the blonde who had come to stay at his house, an idea occurred to him. He hurriedly pulled on his school uniform and grabbed his shoes so he wouldn't miss them before the two set off for school.

As Mokuba slid into the kitchen, his white socks padding on the wooden floor. His eyes landed on Seto with his arms around Joey's waist as the blonde stood in front of the stove, cooking breakfast. In one hand was the pan and in the other was the spatula. Mokuba could just barely see Joey's apron.

"Y'kno, its hard to cook with you clingin' to me like this, Seto." Joey mumbled before gasping out when the brunette gave his neck a small suck, "Hey! We have school, I don' need anymore trouble with the teach havin' hickeys all over!"

With a chuckle of amusement, Seto glanced over his shoulder to see Mokuba sitting down at the kitchen counter in one of the stools. With another small smile, one meant for a loved family member, Seto stepped over to the counter and leaned against it, "Good morning, Mokuba."

"Good morning, big bro." He answered as he dropped his bag on the floor, "Morning, Joey."

"Mornin'." The blonde answered with a goofy grin aimed at Mokuba. He swung the spatula around in the air as he did so.

"Hey, guys," The raven haired child started, his arms folding against the counter. Before he announced what was about to come, he looked between the two high schoolers. "I got a question.. Are you two married?" He asked innocently, blinking big eyes.

They both stared at him, Joey with an almost embarrassed yet angry expression and Seto with an amused smirk. Joey began to shake with surprised fury. _Is that how Mokuba SEES us?-! WHAT has Seto been tellin' this kid!_

"LIKE HELL WE-"

"Yes." Seto cut Joey off, nodding to his little brother. "Joey's my wife. But don't worry," The brunette passed a pleasantly soft smile to Mokuba, "You don't have to call him anything other than 'Joey.'" With a quick grin, Seto ducked the flying grilled cheese that the spatula in Joey's hand had hurled in his direction.

Mokuba also ducked, watching the grilled cheese land far off in the living room. _The maid must be so overworked._

"DAMMIT SETO!" Joey shouted, running at the brunette with the frying pan aimed high, "First ya get me a lecture at school for safe sex after coverin' me with hickeys and now this!"

The brunette couldn't help but laugh as he fled the angry Joey into the next room.

But as he watched them go Mokuba nodded. He knew it.


	7. The First

Author's Note: Inspired by the song White Houses by Vanessa Carlton.

**WARNING: First Person. AU.**

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters used in this fanfiction.

* * *

The First

My eyes watch the golden mystery boy walk through the sunlight, almost shimmering, glittering in the clean air and warm weather. The way he strides with a natural confidence makes me want to greet him. He's moving into the bright, freshly painted white house across the street. Obviously, I attempt to push away the interest in the blonde logically, rocking back in the chair on my porch, I'm just curious about him. Nothing more.

My ice blue eyes observe his thin structure and his tan skin as he sets out several porch chairs. He seems small but willful, able. Wiping the sweat back from his forehead with his forearm, his body turns. And suddenly, he's smiling in my direction.

His bare feet make small slapping sounds on the heated pavement as he rocks with a powerful, full arm wave, "'Ey! The name's Joey!" His panting as he makes his way across the street reminds me vaguely of a dog.

So he noticed me, I frown slightly. Its all happening rather fast and I'm suddenly afraid. I've changed my mind, the blonde boy in his bright red shirt and shorts that sit perfectly on his hips makes my heart flutter and I'm not sure how to handle the feeling. I'm not sure if I even _like_ the feeling. All I know is he is already up on my driveway and there's no stopping him now.

He doubles over with a glance up to me, huffing with heavy yet almost ecstatic breath. I feel so nervous I can't speak. It's one thing that he's gorgeous and upbeat but the tightness in my chest feels like it could choke me when those soft brown eyes find mine.

"I'm Seto." I manage to answer slowly as he juts out his hand to me, grinning a lopsided smile, "Nice ta meet ya, Seto."

My hand is bigger than his but I can feel his strength far exceeds mine as we shake. I can feel the experience along his skin, the scars, the cuts. I feel his warm palm against mine and a realization arouses me. I want this to be, no matter how much my chest feels tight. No matter how many butterflies I get or how many times my stomach flips.

I manage to play a small smile. And it brightens his eyes. Maybe this is easier than I thought.

He offers lightly, "Let's be friends." His head cocks to the side with a soft smile.

My heart throbs and sends my head spinning. I want to be someone more able, someone better. I pull him close and ruffle his hair, "I'll be your first." A gesture of attachment. He smells of something wonderful, a soft relatively sweet kind of smell and it helps me focus on the moment.

I let my running thoughts disperse.

xxx

It had hit off the moment we'd met. I wasn't the kind of kid to make friends. I wasn't really the kind of guy to even seem approachable. But Joey was a magnetic person. People were drawn to him, like I was drawn to him. Soon, there were other kids who hung around too. Yugi, Tea, Tristin and it became the five of us.

But I relished the fact that I was the first one Joey looked to when we got together, the one who spent the night while everyone had to walk home, the first one to get a phone call and somehow, I had become his first best friend.

And he had become mine.

Sure, we'd shared those looks that happened to be a little longer than a normal glance or ended up holding hands when we walked back home alone. But it all seemed so natural and I thought nothing of it. It was something that we had fallen into habit of.

One summer day, close to the last few weeks of the hot weather, I got a new car. It wasn't exactly the best working piece of machinery, but a car was a car. I was finally able to get some privacy, in a sense. Joey seemed baffled in amazement with the rickety thing, which had almost undone me. He was something that I had been waiting my whole life for. My first real treasure.

He'd offered to help fix it up, and I wasn't about to give that kind of a pleasure up. After hard work, and plenty of summer bound money spent, the car had become a sort of fetching looking vehicle.

Out of breath and a little overheated, we sat in the backseat, resting. The summery day had an air of lassitude for the both of us from all the work on the car. He had his legs kicked up on the back of the front seat and an open coke sat lazily in his loose fingers. His eyes flicked to mine and shot me a cocky, half grin. One filled with pride, a somewhat evocative smile in my eyes. Maybe it was just the heat getting to my head, but it also had a brilliant glamour to it.

His lips tasted slightly of coke and salt from his sweat. It was distinctive and fabulous all around. One of the best tastes my lips had ever experienced, due mostly from the fact that it was i/his/i taste.

I soon learned his body was quite lithe in my arms, on my lap. He didn't object, he didn't say anything at all. Joey just complied. And that insisted that I didn't stop. Looking back, I probably wouldn't have stopped anyway and I truly didn't want to. A heated, passionate session soon became out of it, the first and best memory of my old car. His voice in that precious, hot moment was astonishingly mellifluous. And he murmured words that still make my heart race.

_"You're my first."_

Later, when we'd calmed down and we were both very aware of what was happening, he came up to my room. It was all moving so fast, and it was so sweet. A kind of sweet that makes one's head spin round and round till he can't even see straight. He told me the big moment was like a big rush with a little bit of pain. The memory of him sitting in my office chair, backwards with that blue popsicle being waved around like some kind of baton was perfect. If I closed my eyes, I could will it all back to mind.

Something was igniting in my veins and I pray it never fades. What I didn't notice during then was that it was me falling fast in love and nobody told me how much it hurt when you finally hit the ground.

The initial shock was nowhere near as painful as the thought of breaking the promise we'd made. The promise of forever. I was still young, still bound to my parents. And that meant I was bound to move with them. Far from my summer haven that I held onto so desperately. The worst part was, the only goodbye I had ever gotten to show to him was nothing like I wanted it to be. I had never been good at salutations but it was dreadful.

I sat in the back of our car, watching him rush from his white house, gripping the small piece of notebook paper that read, "Goodbye. Seto." He was in such a hurry, Joey hadn't even bothered to put on a shirt as he stared after my car with wide eyes. I hadn't been able to face him in person. I was scared. And I'd hurt him.

With that expression, that image was burned into my brain, and it was the last time I ever saw my first love.

xxx

I'm now standing in front of that once beautiful, sparkling white house seven years later. Its paint has chipped, the wood is a bit more worn than I remember but I half smile into my scarf at the warm memories this little house held. Its still perfect.

The weather isn't the same as it was, its cold and the clouds are building for snow. The day has long gone, I spent it driving all the way here. I let the smile slip as I think, he's probably moved. Joey couldn't still be here, he couldn't still be waiting for a pathetic, lovestruck fool like me. A coward of the man he'd once spent only a summer with.

Reality is harsh. I spent seven years building up my strength and confidence to come back down here and apologize. I know, deep down, that it's probably a lost cause. It was only one summer, one precious summer. A memory that I held dear though.

My dark shoes grip at the concrete, shuffling along the dirt bits as I turn to go. I can't bring myself to do it, I can't bring myself to go up there and ring the doorbell. There's just too much at stake and my heart is so fragile. If he isn't here, I'll never find him.

With a bitter smile to myself, I think, _you've always been a weak person. It took you seven years to come all the way down here and you can't even pull through. But of course you can't, because you only run from your problems._

"S-Seto...?" A voice asks me, a small, wispy voice from behind my back. The creaking of a door sounds second later.

I whip around, wide eyed, hoping, desperately hoping that maybe- "Serenity?" My heart skips a beat and I get the strange familiar sensation in my stomach.

Joey's little sister smiles to me from the doorway in a little purple sweater. Her hair has gotten long since I last saw her. "It is you, Seto. Its been...a really long time." She says the last part softly, her eyes darkening a bit before Serenity offers quickly, "Do you want to come in?" Her eyes glance behind herself then back to me.

Panic rushes through my body and I stutter, "N-no, I was just-"

"Please?" She whispers, "You've come here to see Joey right? Please, he'll be home real soon." Her eyes soften with understanding and she leans back into the house, letting warm light spill over my figure.

Now I'm sitting inside their familiar home, waiting for Joey to come home, recuperating the old memories once more. During those fateful months I'd wait for him to come home from working with his dad out in the fields. I'd wait for hours just to see him right before dinner but I'd always say I hadn't been waiting long when he asked me.

The excitement of waiting for him back then is now replaced with the fear and terrible, soul eating guilt for leaving him with no explanation for seven years. I want his forgiveness like nothing I'd ever wanted but a sliver of me knew, I didn't really deserve it.

From the couch I sat in, I could see the door from the side and I knew he'd always walk in, throw his stuff down onto the living room floor and then flop down onto the couch. Or my lap if I had been waiting, laying lazily and furtive across my thighs.

Minutes pass like hours but when Serenity offers me a drink, I shake my head. The nerves are getting to me. She waits with me, silent yet supportive.

The key clicks in the lock and I instinctively hold my breath while Serenity places a warm, comforting hand on my thigh.

With the familiar creak, the door slides open and I see him. He looks just the same as he did seven years earlier. His beautiful skin is just as tan and perfect as it was the first day my eyes found him and his blonde hair fell across his eyes just the way I remember. His shoulders, although seeming broad are small and thin. He has narrow hips and almost lanky legs. Only his eyes seem older, wiser even darker.

Then I'm staring into their depths and he smiles a weak, small form of his goofy grin. I can't look away. His eyes fill with all sorts of emotions, shimmering wetly in the dim light. I can see him standing there like he usually was back in that first summer, grinning and just like he used to, Joey asks, "How long ya been waitin' for me?"

While I stand from my spot on the couch, I instinctively answer, "Not too long." Habits die hard.

"Ya liar." He mutters, still smiling as a tear runs down his cheek, "I've been waitin' for ya for seven years. I don' know if that makes up for the times ya waited for me, but sure feels like it should mean somethin'." His arms rakes across his cheeks, stealing the tears from his face roughly.

A weight hits my heart, weighing it so far down, I'm afraid I'll never feel alright again. All I can do is grab him in a hug, hold him tighter as he crumbles into me with a soft sob. I feel his fingers tighten in my shirt and the same desperation I've felt the past seven years is obvious in his actions.

"Put yourself in my hands," I murmur, "I won't let go ever again."

He was my first best friend, my first love, my first heartbreak, he's my first mistake and now he's become my last. Because I'm not letting him go. And now, Joey's become my first strength.


	8. Cats Can Sometimes Represent Jealousy

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction except for the cat.

* * *

Cats Can Sometimes Represent Jealousy

"No, Mokuba, for the last time. We're _not_ getting a cat." Seto said seriously, his tone hinting at annoyance. He was not only late on all his work at the moment because he had gotten distracted when Mokuba had sneakily bribed the mutt to come over. And if Joey was here, Seto noted, he definitely WASN'T working. And Mokuba had been asking only a million times every moment he got the chance. He even decided it was alright to stand beside the bathroom door and scream it through the keyhole while Seto was taking a shower. And while one was showering, there was no escape.

"Seto," His younger brother groaned, pulling out the ending vowel of his brother's name, dropping limply into a seat near Seto's in the dining room. "Why not?" The raven haired child whined, obnoxiously Seto might add. The tone only used by the immature or the young.

"Because they're a hassle, they shed hair over everything and I've already been paying the maid to clean up after one _animal_," His eyes flicked to Mokuba then back to the computer screen. His hinting had obviously been for Joey, who was a messy sort of guy, "Plus, you'll grow bored of the poor thing and forget about it, leaving it for me to have to deal with."

"But-"

"No buts. Go outside and play."

With a small pout and a bitter, "Fine. I'll go play with Joey." Mokuba spat out the blonde's name over his shoulder in his brother's face then slunk off, disappearing around the corner. His footsteps faded away or so Seto thought and he abruptly stopped typing.

'Joey?' He repeated in his head, 'Here?' Maybe he could put off a little more work and spend some good time outside. He _was_ in need of a bit of sun. Plus, he hadn't seen Joey in a good few days and he was in need of some recuperation.

While pushing out from his table, Seto shut the laptop, deciding this was a fabulous idea and nobody could be more brilliant than himself. He walked out the doorway and towards the backyard with Mokuba following quietly behind, snickering.

_Sometimes_, the raven haired child mused, _I'm too clever for my own good._

Seto slowly opened the door, his ice blue eyes searching quietly for Joey. They landed on a blonde head poking around the bushes and grass. With a small smile at the sight, Seto took several steps forward before his eyes widened in surprise.

Joey was laughing as he rolled onto his back with a small furry animal walking along his stomach. Its little whiskers tickled the blonde's nose as it licked Joey's face. With another chuckle of amusement, Joey rubbed the kitten's face gently with his thumb. It made a soft mew before licking Joey's fingers and blinking large blue eyes at him.

Seto watched this little scene then glanced down to Mokuba who stood next to him, half smiling. Then he frowned, "What is this?" He muttered to himself and strode out to meet the blonde with a firm, "Joey."

Brown eyes fluttered up in surprise before the lankier of the two cried out in surprise, "Seto! What's gotten into ya?" He scrambled to roll himself into sitting position, the cat's feet dangling in his face.

With only a snort of annoyance, he plopped the fury creature into Mokuba's hands. And once the distraction, and menace, was completely out of the way, Seto leaned into Joey and murmured, "You can only show _me_ that kind of loving affection."

While the blonde's face slowly grew red with whispered words of nothing, Mokuba squealed, "A cat!"


	9. Summer Heat

Author's Note: I went to spell check 'vicinity' and it put 'virginity' in its place. No thanks spell check.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Summer Heat

"Ugh, s'hot, Seto..." Joey whined childishly from the couch, which was in the vicinity of the kitchen where Seto was. The blonde rolled from his back to his stomach, needing to take more effort than usual because his skin was almost glued to the hot leather.

"Shh, I'm working." Seto immediately shushed the other male from the table a few steps away. The usual sound of his fingers dancing along the laptop had been replaced by the rustle of him reading documents. And the worst part, besides him completely shutting Joey off, was he didn't look the least bit uncomfortable in the horrid heat. Not even in his fancy overcoat and boots.

Joey didn't comply with being quiet, so he moaned rather loudly, "But S'HOT!" And to make sure he was about to get some kind of accommodation for being in such a horrible state, he peeked over the couch to look at the brunette.

But Seto also seemed phlegmatic even with his love's whining and distressed tone. He slid one document back behind the others with an inscrutable expression. Then, to top off the fact that he really _was_ ignoring Joey, he took a mild sip of his coffee.

_Coffee_, Joey ruffled with annoyance, _in THIS heat._ Then with a vexed glare, Joey demanded, "'Ey, don' go ignorin' me when I'm annoyin' ya."

He STILL received no answer.

Joey was getting desperate. "I DEMAND YA TURN UP THE AIR CONDITIONER."

Seto continued to reject the blonde's existence which made Joey shout, "SETO! I'M HOT AND I WANT YA TA DO SOMETHIN' ABOUT IT!" His chest heaved with the density of the humid air and with the fact that he had completely riled himself up.

With a small smile, Seto glanced over to Joey and replied, "Yes you are."

This little show of attention caught Joey off guard but the words were meant to be evocative. And Joey knew it, as with his blushing cheeks, "NOW ya pay attention to somethin' I said 'nd it's not even what I meant!"

With a small chuckle, Seto slowly turned to Joey, resting his chin on the palm of his hand and folding his legs. "So, you want me to do something about the fact that you're hot?"

Joey had a sudden feeling like he was about to be duped, "Well, y-yeah." He answered with a slight hesitance in insecurity, blinking at the brunette. A feeling of anxious nerves sparked all the way through his fingers, making him crack them to relieve the stress.

Gracefully, Seto stood from his seat, smirking, "Alright, mutt." And before Joey could snarl that he was in fact NOT a dog, Seto had strode over to the couch and placed a kiss on the surprised blonde's lips.

"Wait, Seto, not this kinda hot..." Joey tried to protest through Seto's skillful tongue and his sudden need down in his pants. His hands instinctively reached behind the brunette's broad back, gripping the shirt in a weak attempt to pull Seto back and away so he could hopefully recapture some of his thoughts. They had left him the moment he felt a presence other than himself in his own mouth.

By the time Seto had actually parted their dance of tongues, he had Joey flat on his back, hazy and appropriately out of his wits. "You're in heat, it can't be helped." He whispered onto the blonde's pink lips with a smirk.

Joey didn't even have the brain capacity to mutter an angry reply before his shirt pooled on the floor by the couch. Seto's hands were hot behind compare and it forced Joey's head to swim through pleasure while those fingers roamed his body. His pants had become disagreeable with its tightness.

It wiped the thought of turning up the air conditioning up clean out of his mind.


	10. Paper Cuts

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Paper Cuts

"Ah."

Both boys immediately looked down to Joey's finger which Seto had carelessly yet obliviously cut with a stack of paper, apprehension in the air. They were still, and for the duration of several long seconds there was nothing. But crimson soon reared its shimmering head, spilling like a small drizzle of rain off a duck's back, immediately falling to stain on the expensive oak of the kitchen table.

Joey frowned, a little bit late on the happening, "I'm bleedin'. Wha' the hell, Moneybags?" A pair of irked chocolate brown eyes flicked up to the taller's face in the accusation. He was holding his 'injured' hand as though it were a rare treasure.

"It was obviously an accident. Why would I intend to make you bleed all over my expensive table? All it will do is stain, and then when I have people over for dinner," Seto stated to his lover matter-of factly, "They'll certainly think me a murderer." And with the last word, he rapped the stack of important papers on the table, careful to avoid the red body fluid.

In a quick second, Joey's wounded finger was mere centimeters from Seto's nose in a loud affirmation, "'Cause yer actually an evil sadist bent on inflicting pain on anyone in yer path!" Joey's pride felt a ruffle of growth, he knew he was right.

Seto stared at the finger with a sudden bewilderment and couldn't keep himself from batting his eyelashes in instinct. But his composure was quick to recover and he only slid the bloody finger to the side with his own clean one, "Is that what you've been contemplating so hard on all this time, Wheeler? Its sad to see that you're brain only has the ability to state such meaningless things. I expected," His eyes flashed dangerously while he gripped the stack tighter, "Something a bit more interesting."

Being shot down wasn't a completely irregular thing for Joey to experience in Seto's presence. But it still seemed to flair his temper adequately every single time. In a fury, his eyes scanned the kitchen wildly for something he could use, anything he could use as a weapon. His fingers gripped the hilt of a spatula that had been used earlier that day for breakfast. If anything, he advanced with a blazing confidence, he could spank Seto for being such an ass.

His hand whipped back without hesitance but a sense of mild fresh shock rang through his entire being when his wrist met skin. It then all happened in a blur and his lower back met the edge of the table with a bang.

"You're a naughty kid, Joey." Seto's engrossing, husky voice vibrated through the silent air. Even with his back aching in newly acquired pain, he still felt a shiver down his body at his lover's tone.

He peeked through his eyelids just barely, noticing immediately an inimical glimmer in Seto's blue eyes. His wrist was bound in Seto's large fingers above his hand, where the spatula was still.

He felt warm breath on his neck, "Sometimes," He heard Seto murmur as his eyes had immediately squeezed closed at the eyes of the taller male, "I think you rile me up because you want _punishment_." A hand abruptly forced Joey to hand over the spatula, even though he was unwilling.

"But don't worry," Seto let a horrific smirk stretch perfectly on his lips, a scary yet somewhat appealing look, "This set of spankings is all in congratulations for figuring me out."

Joey let out a clamor of protests but was flipped over the table relatively easily and then forced forward onto his stomach. His hips knocked into the wooden surface, his face mere inches from his dried blood.

"Try not to cry _too_ loudly, Mokuba's upstairs. But by all means, don't restrain yourself."

Luckily, the child in his room was well aware of Seto's fondness of Joey and his kinky objectives and position himself as far from paying attention to the commotion downstairs as possible.


	11. Priceless

Author's Note: I wanted to express my great thanks to everyone who has supported this fanfiction.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Priceless

"What are you making that face for? Doesn't it taste good?" Seto asked from behind his hand that was supporting his chin. It wasn't that the little shiver of disgust that ran through Joey's body and the small grimace that found its way onto his features exactly bothered Seto, he thought it was cute to see the mutt making such a face. He was only curious as _why_ the blonde was making said face.

Joey lowered the fork that had been in his mouth only a second before, "Ergh." Then he presumed to put on a upset but cute pout before saying, "I don' like it."

Seto gave him a slight sneer that said, 'seriously?', "Why did you order it then?"

They both looked down to the delectable looking piece of carrot cake that sat in front of Joey, incomplete by only one but rather large bite. Seto had said he would treat Joey to something because he had brilliantly insulted the blonde to the point that Joey had broken one of Seto's expensive vases.

_Hand made from Brazil._ Seto thought back to it bitterly, still sore from having to watch it shatter into a million pieces all over his floor. Training strays had proven to be a lot harder than he had ever thought.

"I thought it'd be good!" Joey stabbed his fork into it, giving it a nasty glimpse, "I mean didya see the picture of it on the menu? All frosty 'nd covered in fancy designs..."

"All the cakes were like that." Seto added with a roll of his eyes but he continued with a more serious, blunt tone, "Finish your cake, I paid money for that."

Joey groaned loudly, making the other customers, who were mostly women, give them glances from over their shoulders and then began whispering. Seto felt quite out of place but he should have guessed a cake shop wouldn't have too many men.

"Setooo, I jus' told ya I din't like it n'now ya gunna MAKE me eat it? What kinda cruel person are ya?" Joey folded his arms, focusing a harsh look just about as angry as the one he had sent the cake moments ago, "Ya can't make me."

Seto narrowed his eyes, yet his face retained no emotion. The mutt didn't understand that no matter what, Seto could and would outsmart him when it was needed.

"You think I buy cake for just anyone? My time is probably the most important item I could give you, and right now you're wasting both time _and_ money," Seto Kaiba stated facilely bringing out a ice stare which made Joey squirm, "I _do_ have to work to afford living costs. Plus I rarely ask you for anything. So now, when all I'm asking you to do is eat a simple piece of cake, you won't comply?"

Seto frankly, didn't really bother with his money. He was so rich Seto barely knew the meaning of 'poor.' But he was well aware that Joey always thought about expenses brought by the fact that he had been close enough to poverty and lived on the wrong side of town. He was even having to work several jobs to keep himself just barely out of debt. Pulling a money card out on Joey was one way to keep the blonde close and under watchful eyes.

Also, Seto found it pleasing when Joey grumbled about him coming home with expensive gifts. As if Seto didn't have the money to buy the whole city. The brunette was only striving to make sure that Joey knew he belonged to him by expressing heartfelt emotions in objects and constricting words. If he could, he would tighten his puppy's leash so that Joey wouldn't even be able to leave the house, let alone Seto's room. Sharing is for saps. Seto nodded inwardly, _saps who don't have Joey._ Yes, Seto was being entirely selfish and was fully aware of it, but he couldn't help but not want to let anyone else enjoy his Joey. He wanted to make sure Joey couldn't _live_ without him.

"Erk." Joey grunted, then threw a finger at Seto, "You always gotta be the bigger guy, huh!"

Seto smirked at this angry response then leaned forward, kissing the tip end of Joey's finger, "I'm just training my naughty puppy so he'll always need to depend on me. Now eat your cake."

Seto really wanted to spoil the blonde for everything he once had to go through, with the exception of this one time. He just couldn't get enough of that look Joey made when the taste of the cake filled his mouth. The face he made was perfectly_ pricless._


	12. The Battle the Morning Coffee Loses

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

The Battle the Morning Coffee Loses

Seto took a long sip of his morning coffee, turning the page in the Sunday paper then set his cup down. His eyes glided up to see Mokuba impatiently waiting for the toaster to release his bagel at the counter.

"Mokuba, where's the dog?" Seto asked casually as he let his eyes fall down to the headlines of the business section, 'KAIBA CORP. HAS OUTDONE ITSELF WITH THEIR NEW DUELING EQUIPMENT'_. Of course I have._

"Hmm?" Mokuba looked over his shoulder to his brother. He knew the codewords 'dog', 'mutt' and 'puppy' (which was used when Seto was in a glorious mood), were all used for the only blonde living in their house. Joey. "He's probably upstairs still."

"Right. Thanks." Seto pushed up from his seat, leaving his half full, black coffee next to the paper with the article about his company.

Mokuba looked to it and seemed so surprised that for a moment, he didn't even notice when his bagel jumped up out of the toaster. _Seto never leaves his coffee unfinished._

xxx

He'd already looked into the guest room where he could occasionally find Joey lounging about and Seto had glanced into his own room where he had insisted Joey sleep but the blonde was in neither places. Not that there weren't traces and small messes that gave way where Joey had been.

As he sighed, frustrated, the brunette heard Joey's voice from the far bathroom down the hall.

"Lookin' good, mhmm!"

Seto put his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow._ What IS he doing?_ As the CEO stepped towards the door in a silent manor Joey cooed, "Never better."

Although he did enjoy embarrassing the blonde and making things a hassle for him, Seto couldn't help but think his puppy was too cute for his own good sometimes.

Joey was posing in the mirror, smirking cockily, thinking he was looking pretty tough. His nose scrunched slightly with the intensity of revealing his muscles. "Yeah, thas' it!" He flexed both his arms before they were pinned to his small body by even stronger arms of another man. This only made him squeak in surprise, which came out _very_ unmanly. This little girly cry basically and harshly, Joey might add, contradicted anything he'd been bragging about earlier.

"Seto, what are ya doin'?" A sheepish half smile crept upon the brown eyed captive. His eyes flicked around, all across the mirror and yet nowhere near Seto in sheer and complete embarrassment. Getting caught posing in the mirror while cooing sexily at oneself is not something one wants to happen regularly, or at all for that matter.

But Seto only murmured to the top of Joey's head, his eyes glimmering with the amusement of his lover's silly antics,"You're right, you are looking good," Seto smirked, shifting around which only squeezed Joey a bit tighter. It was enough to make the blonde grunt then close his right eye when Seto planted a kiss on the cheek under it, "Enough to make me leave my coffee."

Surprise fell into the air, softening all the noise into silence before Joey finally registered the massive accomplishment he'd just achieved. So he decided to just make sure.

"Unfinished?"

"Unfinished."

Joey blinked, his eyes wide and surprised and looked back to the mirror, _that good huh?_


	13. Its Hot, Alright?

Author's Note: Those cup-of-soup instant drinks are probably addicting. ._. And I'm totally okay with that.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Its Hot, Alright?

As usual, before going to work that morning, Seto began brewing hot water for his cup of coffee. Joey wasn't up yet, but he sometimes managed to stir himself from a deep slumber to give Seto a dazed 'goodbye' and 'have a nice day' before Seto would leave for Kaiba Corp.

Seto always hoped that those mornings would come along more often but it was what made them special. _Scarcity_.

"Nn...Mornin'..." Came a sleepy yawn from the doorway into the dim kitchen.

So Seto had been right to set out two cups this morning. His being right could only bring a prideful gleam to his cold eyes. "Good morning. You're up early." Seto replied as usual every morning that Joey got up quick enough to see the brunette's departure.

"Hnn. Too early if ya ask me." Joey rubbed his eyes of sleep and managed to find his way down into a chair at the table. He was wearing a simple white-tee that seemed to still be a bit too big for the skinny body he sported and a pair of sweats that slid down to reveal just the very top of his boxers.

"I've made you some coffee." Seto stepped over, holding the cup in his hand by the handle. As Joey's hands reached up to take the mug of freshly brewed caffeine, Seto lifted it just out of his reach.

"Okay, now before I give you this cup, what's the rule?"

"Wait for it to cool down." Joey half grumbled, looking mildly embarrassed. Its not like he meant to constantly burn his tongue because he was too impatient to wait for it to become drinkable. But he still had to shoot Seto a horrid glare from under his bangs, there was no need to act as though he was a child.

"Try and control yourself then." Seto rolled his eyes slightly, _dumb but unreasonably cute._ The cup was then transferred from the brunette to the blonde who seemed to take the mug very seriously.

While Seto thought that maybe this time Wheeler could try not to burn the inside of his mouth, he turned to the counter to get his own mug. Lifting the rich, familiar scented drink to his mouth, Seto managed to take a small sip.

"YEOUCH!"

And then his grip on the cup tightened in sheer ventilation, cracking the red mug with a sharp snap. Now, he _did_ sometimes ponder the actualality of Joey's stupidity when he did something unreasonably unintelligent but this was ridiculous. After he had specifically said NOT to drink it.

The brunette turned to the blonde, eyes furious, his mouth open, ready to give a long and brutal lecture when he saw the front of Joey's soft white shirt stained brown and slightly steaming.

Joey smiled, giving him one of those sheepish side grins as he scratched his cheek, "I spilled it."


	14. Gladiator

Author's Note: The idea came up after watching Gladiator for about the third time (not in a row, I tell you) and I had dwelled upon the plot and character positions for a little while. I made Seto the gladiator instead of the Caesar because that seems too obvious. Seto the Caesar. Meh. TOO OBVIOUS. It took me a lot longer to write it than I thought it would D: Wah.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

Warning: AU, Seto being a badass...Just thought I'd throw that out there.

* * *

Gladiator

The crowd's cheering was all reduced to just a roar of noise inside the stadium as if they were one giant animal growling in the hot weather. Commoners glared through the sun at the gravel down below while others fanned their faces. Sun blared down upon all of them while the high class and their women sat under shade.

The games were about to begin and all waited for just one person to come striding out.

The Caesar.

Everyone knew the Caesar and how he looked as though the Gods had given birth to him. His sparkling almost glowing golden hair and magnificent brown eyes that glowed with rejuvenating youth drew people in and mystified them.

The crowd rose to an ecstatic mess when they saw the young blonde step out to take his seat. His white robe was shimmering against the stone of the stadium. As he slid down into his seat, the blonde raised his hand to them and announced, "Let the games begin!" His voice, although smooth, boomed into the round, ceilingless building.

The roar of the people erupted again, making Joey smile slightly. He loved the games, he loved his people. The ironed gates began to lift and his brown eyes couldn't help but watch in anticipation although he rested his head to the side on his hand.

One gladiator stepped out, looking deceptively calm for someone who was supposed to die on the field today. He was alone as no other gladiators followed out after him and the gates were once again shut with a rising creak.

The crowd stared down at the brunette and the people were silenced suddenly, captivated by the serious man. One and all could hear his footsteps on the sand as he stepped out to the middle of the field, the gritty sand grinding against the soles of his worn shoes.

His sword made a soft sliding sound as it was pulled out of his sheath and then collective gasps echoed around as the gladiator pointed it to the Caesar with a sudden smirk. Heads were jerking to stare at the others around them, as though nobody could believe the sudden cockiness the gladiator possessed. "I have a proposition to make-"

"How dare you disrespect your Caesar!-?" The head captain rushed forward, using his higher's seat as leverage to shout down at the peasant man. "You do not point thy sword in his direction like such and you do not speak unless you have bowed and been given righteous approval!"

The Caesar abruptly stood from his seat, glaring harshly down at the pretentious man below. But he held a hand up to stop his captain who blinked then stepped back with a short half bow of embarrassment and shame, repositioning himself where he had been moments ago. "You have no right to talk to me like this."

With these words, those cold eyes narrowed in what one could only call amusement then he stiffly shifted forward, mocking a bow. "Good enough? I should not expect to live much longer?" He continued, taking the words from the Caesar's open mouth which made him snap it shut. "Trust me, I'll live to see _plenty_ of sights," His eyes trailed down the body of his Lord provocatively, sending murmurs back through the stadium.

_Was that gladiator goggling the Caesar? So openly?_

_How bold that man is! What is his name?_

_His eyes roam like they have no class! Surely he is not from our state!_

The Caesar gripped his hands into tight fists, looking exceptionally angry. This.._fool_ was making a mockery of his power and lordship over his people. _Where_ had they gotten such a brute man, one with absolutely no manners? "You think I will agree with your lowly proposition, gladiator? After your disgrace to your name and my stadium? Unlikely."

This brought the brunette an expression full of graceful distaste, dropping his eyes to the ground as he delicately drew his sword across the dirt. Acting as though the _ground_ could hold his interest better than the man before him. "Would you like to hear it at first, Caesar? Your mind could easily be wavered."

Was that slave calling the pure blooded highness _fickle?_ There was not one respectful bone in his body! Jou scowled, his face red with embarrassment. This bastard was no more than a swindler who needed to pay the price for his attitude. He probably couldn't wield a sword to save his fine ass anyway. "What are you expecting to gain if the win is yours? Money?" Jou replied bitterly.

"Nay," The other shook his head, smirk still quite in place, "Not money..Your Godliness. I want to be formally invited to stay in thy palace with you. I think it is only reasonable if I manage to break down all thy walls in such," His hands raised out to indicate the stadium, "A place."

Jou's eyes flickered back and forth with wild thought. This man couldn't be serious. There was no way such a horrible being would survive the tortures of _his_ stadium. And so, in effect, there was no way he'd ever step a dirty sole into the palace. "Fine. I'll make sure you die today and your blood forever stains the walls." The blonde snapped, dropping back into his seat with a huff. His eyes found the next gate as it began to open revealing several huge chariots.

The sound of the running horses and chattering spinning wheels brought excitement back into the crowd. Screaming and cheering filled the stadium and yet, the gladiator kept his calm and serious demeanor. The two golden chariots began to circle him from afar, two riders per chariot. Dust was being kicked up in wild and heavy clouds.

One rider, wearing a full helmet, pulled the back string on his bow, aiming an arrow at the brunette with precision. The arrow whizzed just past the gladiator's face as he twisted barely to one side. The first move had been made. Seto half smiled as though the prospect of him dying brought him some form of joy.

His relaxed state hurled itself into a fit of rage when he forced his sword into the air with a grunt of effort. Blood splattered. Cheers boomed again as the body of one of the riders rolled to the ground, Seto's weapon lodged in his neck, right under his full helmet. The death brought the entire stadium into a fit and just basically sat Jou in a annoyed position.

The partner of the dead rider swerved off course, a bit rattled that the gladiator had already killed one of the four. Nobody but a cold blooded killer could manage such in so little time.

Leaning down where it had landed, Seto's hand pulled the arrow from the ground, dirt crumbling down from the dirty tip. He brushed the sharp metal off, giving the Caesar a small smile of pride before tossing it up into the air, high.

Then as one of the chariots took a sharp turn towards the young gladiator, he ducked the sword that swung for his head and rolled back to watch the arrow that dropped down into the rider's shoulder just inside the crack of the armor. An erect scream bounced from the walls, almost being drowned completely out by the ecstasy it brought from the crowd. The man in the chariot stumbled to one side then completely barreled off the edge, crunching under the giant spinning wheels. He moved no more.

"Two dead, two left to kill. How long do you think your men will continue to live?" Seto all but cackled with a strong stare up to his Lord, wiping imaginary dirt from his tanned shoulder. His only response was Jou gritting his teeth.

After sliding out of the way of another arrow nimbly, Seto yanked his sword from the bloody corpse that was one of his victims and looked over to the chariots as they slowed to a stop. Each rider stepped down from his spot, unsheathing his own sword. Each, as well, had their lips snarled back in fury and rushing adrenaline.

The braver of the two took a running start, slamming his sword back behind his head in a prepared slash. His scream echoed off the walls, bouncing out into the ears of the people. Seto thrust out his sword to meet the rider's and a clanging noise erupted. The attack had all been for show compared to Seto's strength.

They both drew back, taking several steps then began to circle one another. Seto threw the next move, a horizontal swipe toward the rider's neck but was deflected and harshly shoved back by the other's shield. Seeing as the shove was only a distraction, Seto slipped down to a crouch and he managed to just barely dodge a side swing that had been aimed for his head by the other fighter.

"Damn it all...!" Jou hissed between clenched teeth and his thumbnail, which had positioned itself in his mouth so it could be chewed nervously upon. This was literally impossible for any normal man. The circumstances were brutal for the poor gladiators Jou disposed off out on the fields. And yet his men were getting taken out one by one by this _demon_.

Seeing the advantage in numbers, the second rider came storming upon the brunette only to have Seto jab his helmet-covered forehead back with the end of his hilt. This caused said chariot rider to scramble back to recover and gave Seto enough time to roll towards him to avoid the sword that slammed into his former kneeling place. He first thrust his own sword into the neck of the closer then turned to face his former, shield wielding enemy. Blood squirted across Seto's shoes and calves and the crimson color sent the crowd berserk.

Whipping the sword mostly clean of the red liquid, Seto pridefully pointed the tip to other man. Jou could barely keep himself on his seat, squirming like a child. If his man didn't defeat this strange gladiator, he was sure to be humiliated and forced to invite him to his palace. The idea sent shivers down his tanned skin. He felt as though those eyes that man wielded were _undressing_ him on the spot.

The clattering of swords bashing together rang across the sand and even with the advantage of his shield and high class armor, Jou's fighter was being forced back on defense. And he gawked, horrified, when his sword twirled from his grip and stuck itself forcefully into the sand far from his reach. He even _squealed_ when the brunette tore his shield away from his grip.

But before he could beg Seto had his sullied sword breaking through the other side of his head from the man's mouth while he murmured, "Don't you have any pride, sniffling bitch?" He yanked the weapon back with more force than was needed and put on his best smirk.

"Ah," He let out the sigh and placed himself right before the Caesar pleasantly, "Well, that was delightful of you. To be so generous as to have your men _play_ with me." He cooed out sweetly although his eyes read differently. They were daring and calculative. "But now that our agreement has come to this position, I would greatly appreciate you fulfilling your part."

Jou couldn't feel more ashamed of his men at this point so he childishly slumped into his stone throne and grumbled. "Please join me at the palace."

Seto tossed his sword to the side and it clunked roughly against the dirt. "Now, my Caesar," He said lightly yet his cocky tone still remained, "Is that _any_ way to invite an important guest? Please, be more polite."

"Fuckin' join me at the palace, you bastard!" Jou, in his moment of rage, screamed then he whipped from the royalty box and out of the entire stadium, leaving the crowd in shock.

Seto could barely suppress his enjoyment as two guards resentfully led him out of the arena, "That is more like it."


	15. Dog Lovers

Author's Note: Well, I do have to say, this idea does make sense to me. It really does.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Dog Lovers

Mokuba had finally gotten Seto off his work computer with the bribe of bringing Joey over after the blonde had finished his school project with Yugi and Yami. He'd began to notice the pattern that was _only_ Joey could interrupt Seto's work. Which somewhat surprised the youth but he didn't think too much about it and used it to his advantage.

They were all now sitting at the table, Joey and Seto on one side and Mokuba on the other. Really, they were all just waiting for the pizza to arrive. Seto had decided to let the chefs off for the night and Joey said he could completely deal with quick food. Still, the raven haired child couldn't suppress his excitement, his large eyes dancing across the other two boy's faces hurriedly. He supported his head in both his hands, almost leaning out of his chair with childish glee. He loved the two boys most.

"So." He started, once again looking between Seto and Joey's faces. They both gave him skeptical looks, watching him with a comforting normality to the them. Seto had his 'cold aura' going on and Joey looked pleasantly content.

"What's your guys' favorite animals?" The youngest asked to break the silence, lowering his head down onto his folded arms. He smiled slowly, kicking his feet under the table lightly.

Joey, the first to answer, gave it a moment of thought with a sound of him thinking. His big brown eyes flickered around the kitchen, wandering about with his mind. Finally, he shrugged, and clenched a fist tightly to enhance the intensity of his answer, "I don' know, somethin' fierce! Like a dragon!"

Seto had rested his chin on his palm, his face basically expressionless except for the hint of boredom at the edges. He let out a sigh but answered his brother in the puff of air, "A dog."

His eyes flicked over to Joey and the two made eye contact. Joey froze in his stance, with one hand pumped up in a fist and the other awkwardly by his side, "Erk." He grunted, giving Seto a wide eyed, annoyed look.

Then when a snort of malicious laughter had barely been audible from the brunette's lips, Joey slammed a finger into the CEO's face angrily, "I know whatcha really meant by that! I'm NOT A DOG!" He shouted to the ceiling, clenching his fists tight. His scream of anger made Mokuba giggle slightly from behind his hand.

Seto smirked and half shrugged, acting as if he didn't know what the blonde was even talking about. He _loved_ how he could rouse up his puppy without even having to _talk_.

Mokuba smiled to them both, looking pleased. Nothing was ever boring when Joey was around. "Hey, did you guys know? Dog lovers are supposedly sadists." He said lightly, meaning nothing by it but unknowingly meaning everything.

Seto's eyes found Joey's again and they twinkled with ill intent, "Fascinating."

The shocked blonde stumbled back a few steps, gasping and flailing for breath as though he might hyperventilate any moment, "Tha'...tha'...THA' EXPLAINS EVERYTHIN'!"

* * *

Author's Note: Dog lovers are supposedly sadists while cat lovers are supposedly masochists. Its only a theory but I can see the reasoning behind it. With Seto XD


	16. A Nightmarish Dream

Author's Note: I REALLY want to watch a pokemon movie right about now.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

A Nightmarish Dream

It felt like his ears were going to burst with all the crazy noise. He could hear blasting, rushing water from what sounded like a hose while firemen barked orders to one another from the sides. There was the faint murmur of people in the background and the crackling of what he could only decipher as fire.

_What's going on? Where is this?_ His eyes danced across the scene wildly, panic tightening in his chest. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten here, but he assumed his memory was just flickering out for a moment with the dramatic scene that was unfolding before his eyes. It was probably just surprise that was keeping his memory at bay as Seto could still feel his briefcase in his loose fingers. The air was cold and the sky was dark yet the stars were being blared out. Light, bright light, was shining into his face and up into the sky, licking its surface. Crackling and popping sounded from the building in front of Seto.

It was on fire. It was on fire just like he'd thought.

Suddenly, he knew where he was, he was standing in front of his mansion. His _home_. This was _his_ home and it was burning. There were more than several fire trucks around the area, blasting water onto the burning building, desperately trying to douse the hell that had irrupted on the place he'd spent so long creating. An ambulance was also sitting close to the scene, where a dirty, familiar raven haired child was sitting, wrapped in a blanket. People were rushing around, trying to bring it all under control. But there was no control because fire had no master.

Seto's eyes desperately forced themselves to unfocus from the rampage on his house and to his younger brother. The feeling of his cold leather strap on the expensive briefcase was suddenly gone and he could barely hear the noise anymore. Mokuba, there was Mokuba. Joey had to be around there too, somewhere. He'd just make his way over there, he was having trouble even getting his legs to move, and voice his concern and then recover in the smile and arms of his puppy.

"Mr. Seto, sir."

The brunette abruptly stopped and stiffened in the presence one of the ash covered firemen, looking him up and down, his mind racing. _Why is he stopping me? Can't he see I have to go see my lover?_ Seto attempted to swallow the chocking sensation in his throat, but to no avail. He couldn't even bring himself to answer the man.

The officer removed his helmet, shuffling awkwardly and then he quickly avoided eye contact. "We're sorry. We did all we could." His voice held remorse, regret and to a certain degree depression. His dirty face was crinkled in a saddened frown.

"What are you talking about?" Seto demanded, the anxiety gripping his chest felt like it was going to make his heart burst. This man couldn't be serious. He must've gotten his facts wrong because Seto was going to push his way over to that ambulance and find his family. And even though Joey was going to be a mess, he'd still be smiling and he'd still crack a stupid joke and make everything alright again.

It was all happening so fast, the fire was burning so bright. Everyone was making too much noise. The man glimpsed up at Seto's expression and he placed his helmet back on his head, knowing that this was just going to be too hard to face.

"Joey Wheeler, he didn't make it. We lost him in the fire. We're terribly sorry."

His world shattered, as though it were a frail mirror being smashed by a brick of reality. Seto was tumbling, falling into the darkness that could only be his own soul and the death of his beloved. The rough hit to the ground sprung him up into sitting with a cry of horror. He could feel his heartbeat, fast and heavy against his chest, ringing in his ears. His room was dark, still masked in night. And his legs were wrapped in blankets and warmth, frustrating his internal heating system. This wasn't the sidewalk. This wasn't outside.

He let out a calming breath, running a hand over his face to capture some of the sweat. _Just a dream._

"Mn.." A voice groaned from beside him and body heat trailed against the side of Seto with half awakening. Another person was sleeping in his bed. There was no fire eating his house alive.

Seto's ice blue eyes flicked nervously to the side, because he couldn't quite capture all his bearings and he still felt shaky all over. His lover was still resting peacefully in his king sized bed, hugging his pillow close to himself, mouth open as he snored lightly. His hair was ruffled brilliantly because he had been rolling about in his sleep but Seto smiled softly, _beautiful_. It was hard to get himself to relax but the sight of Joey was a start to helping Seto's frayed nerves. His puppy was completely okay.

His hand found the golden locks and he ran his fingers through the soft hair, sighing. "It was just a dream." Joey was still here, still sleeping peacefully.

Then, just to make sure this wasn't another dream, Seto wrapped one arm around the blonde's skinny waist and pulled him closer. A smile found his lips when Joey cuddled in and mumbled, "Have ya a nightmare...?"

"Don't go anywhere, alright? You're mine." Was Seto's cold, serious response to the sleepy blonde's question. "You're not allowed to leave me." His voice sounded calm and collected, as it always did. So Joey felt it was a sheer sign that Seto was fine and began to drift back to sleep after sniffing slightly and shifting into a comfortable position. Until he felt Seto's grip tighten to the point where it almost hurt and the brunette buried his face into the crook of Joey's neck.

"Seto.."

"Shh, just for a little while."

On the inside, Seto could still feel his heart thudding roughly against his rib cage. Nothing had ever been so frightening.


	17. Awards and Muffins

Author's Note: Is it just me, or is 'congratulations' and all its counterparts, EXTREMELY hard to spell? BARGH.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Awards and Muffins

He knew it would happen, it was only because he was the best among all others. Frankly, he decided it had taken them too long to grace him with this.

Seto was being granted an award for being one of the greatest economy boosting businesses in Domino City with his new and grand ideas to recapture the population with dueling. The people of Domino City had been hugely inspired by his continuous improvements among the technology and his fascinating and always challenging competitions. Nobody knew the real reasons behind his need for success and nobody really took the time to scoop through the cold CEO's life, but all around, no matter what, they were all awe-struck by the man.

They'd decided slightly short notice and informed the brunette only a few days in advance to show up to receive his plaque. It annoyed the living hell out of Seto but he agreed pleasantly and currently stood in front of the mirror, quietly trying to decide which tie he would prefer to wear to the occasion. He heard the soft sound of feet coming up the stairs but he was in _no_ mood for distractions this late in the game.

Especially if it was Mokuba with another 'Congratulations' basket filled with assortments from some simpleton who thought Seto actually needed a 'good job' from them. It had only been a matter of time before he got this award, it was his destiny to succeed, and he didn't need their basket of muffins to know he had truly made it to the top.

"Ey, Mokuba said ya'd be here."

Luckily, he had no need to start glaring nor insulting any muffins as it was not his younger brother, but his favorite blonde. Joey leaned against the door frame casually, beaming with his regular optimism. His cheeks were a soft, pale rose pink, his shirt dusty with dirt, as though he'd just gotten off his shift down in the fields. He looked absolutely from a different world, a world that Seto had never been in.

But all the same, he'd fallen in love with the suave young worker and he could only try to capture the boy and bring him into _his_ world. But for now, he'd be okay with just teasing. "Come to congratulate your Master, mutt?" Seto smirked proudly, eyeing his choice on ties slowly, calculating the pros and cons of each one.

"Naw," The blonde said lightly while he sauntered into the room. His eyes roamed then he came into view once again, and almost sheepishly, he finished, "I came to get one a'those muffin baskets." Then his sheepishness turned to a dazzling, cute grin while he tinkered with the cologne bottle on the dresser.

_That's just like Wheeler,_ Seto inwardly sighed, a tinge of disappointment but all-knowing understandment ached in his chest. He still wanted to hear those words come from someone he held so dear. But the brunette didn't say anything in return and went back to shuffling through his expensive neck articles.

"Even if I did congratulate ya," Joey started, dropping down onto the perfectly sculpted covers of the king sized bed. His fingers roamed back and across the wrinkles he created by sitting.

"Hm?" Seto's eyes found Joey through the parallel universe that was his mirror and he slowed his hands to a stop so he could fully hear what the other had to say. He watched as Joey's hands continued to sprawl themselves over his comforter then the blonde looked up.

"Ya don't really need it anyway. Ya bein' so full a yourself." Joey cooed brilliantly with a brave gleam in his brown eyes. He was one of the only people Seto knew who could so obviously call him out on his personality and not be afraid of what was to come.

"Humph." Seto half smiled, not only amused by the awareness of his puppy but also amazed. He always thought he could keep people at a distance, make sure to keep everything soft about him hidden and yet Joey could constantly just walk through his walls. His fingers let slide the red tie till it pooled on the floor in his decision to wear blue against his black suit. "You're right, Wheeler. I don't need your congratulations." This comment earned him a bitter scowl from the other.

His hands nimbly willed the tie into the perfect spot around his throat and while he straightened the already straight article of clothing, he added, "But that doesn't mean I don't want it." If Joey was going to be as able to walk through all the barriers he set up, then the least Seto could do was occasionally be completely open. A congratulations from his puppy would mean more than all the plaques he could earn in his lifetime.

Joey sent him a small glimpse then a smile and they shared a look through the mirror. Then Seto rolled his shoulders back, nodded towards the door and began out the room, "Come on, you starved dog, let's go pick out a muffin basket before I have to go."

"I better get one a the good ones, Moneybags!" Joey rushed up off the bed, leaving his imprint in the soft blankets and chasing after the vanishing brunette with a stumble.

"Beggars can't be choosers, Joseph."

"I'm not a beggar! And don' use my real name so casually! It's creepy!"


	18. Comfort Zone

Author's Note: Thank you so much, Reizbar-Ookami for your amazing support and advertisement, o_o I'm amazed.

This fanfiction is dedicated to Reizbar-Ookami who just, deserves it. So here it is. Go check out her stuff! :D

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Comfort Zone

Seto was pissed. For one, his day at the company had not gone well. The lesser beings thought that they could appose on him with their rather stupid ideas. As though they thought they were near him on the food chain. But they were only the fat sheep. The fat, _foolish_ sheep. _They don't even deserve to be working at my company._ Seto had decided, so he had fired them. But that didn't help his mood as then he had to hire a whole new set of business men and he continued to be hard to please.

And two, after his horrible day at work, he had gotten a call from the school on his way home about how Mokuba had gotten into a argument with another kid. Or more rather, a fist fight over a girl. Although proud of his younger that it had been a basically one-sided fight, favoring Mokuba, he didn't see the point in getting so roused up over a girl. Especially to the point of where the mothers of all the children were going to be gossiping over this for _days_. Gossiping about how Seto was raising Mokuba poorly and maybe for the reasons that his parents were also gone and so on and so forth.

And so, that struck out his company, his brother and left the mutt in the line of fire.

Seto stepped in through the door, letting it slide closed behind him. He was lucky that Mokuba was in detention at the moment or he would have intensely scolded the raven haired Kaiba. He also knew though that Joey had gotten off school earlier that afternoon and was definitely hanging around inside the mansion somewhere. So he still had someone to take his horrible mood out on.

Seto let out a frustrated sigh, pulling loose his tie. He was definitely looking for a fight, a way to release all the horrible stress from the day. But he was also hoping that maybe Joey could just fix everything right up and 'kiss the booboo' so that Seto wouldn't have to feel so horrible. All the disgust from earlier, it made his chest ache and he wanted to believe that Joey could be his comfort zone; A place he could go to rejuvenate without being a complete ass about it.

He stepped up the stairs roughly, glancing down to the guest room Joey occasionally used and saw the light on. So Wheeler was hanging around in there. Usually he just used Seto's room for anything, but there were times when Seto needed space or Joey had some well needed homework and so that made the room Joey's spare room.

"Mutt." Seto said in a scolding manor while he rounded into the doorway. As though Joey had been a naughty dog and thoroughly pissed off his owner. Even though the two hadn't been around one another all day as Seto had been at work and Joey had been at school. Seto wanted to believe that Joey could mend his throbbing heart but he was still feeling abnormally bitter.

Yet the blonde wasn't in the room, the light had just been left on. Seto could see where Joey had been, first at the desk where a half finished sheet of homework lay along with the remains of muffin then to the bed where the book they were reading in class sat, on top the pillow, barely started.

_Wheeler_. Seto felt his mood only grow darker at the unsightly messes he found in the room. _That irresponsible imbecil-_

"Oh, yer home." Joey's voice chimed behind him pleasantly. Seto could already smell the scent of the blonde's shampoo and feel the heat of a shower wafting from the other's body. The sound of his voice brought Seto's anger level down a notch, the lightheartedness making him soften around the edges.

Seto barely had enough time to turn before Joey was waltzing into the room, where he then just used his eyes to follow the blonde. "Yer home earlier-" The blonde began then made a sound of sudden surprise when he was whipped around and yanked into two tight arms.

Blinking, Joey was engulfed in his lover's hold and he immediately felt smaller. Which wasn't a normal feeling as he hung out with one of the shortest kids in the neighborhood. Surprise kept him quiet, but he did glance curiously to the brunette. Occasionally Seto would get completely attached and lose all ability to say how he felt.

Meanwhile, Seto felt his anger slowly disintegrate (lucky for Joey) and although he was slightly annoyed at how easy Joey could actually dis-spell his fury, he was glad. _Of course my comfort zone is this guy, that's what I get for falling in love with a dope._ Seto smiled, only a small cock of his lips, into the Joey's shoulder and let out a deep sigh.

_...A dope who smells good. No matter. I can make the best of it._ After giving the blonde's neck a good nibble which only made his puppy make the _cutest_ of noises, he pulled back.

Seto did enjoy the surprised look on his puppy's blushing face and the dark fog that had been covering him all day had finally lifted. It left his heart feeling mildly open and somehow somewhat breezy. Even though he wanted to admit it more certain times than others, Joey was definitely his mood tranquilizer.

Finally able to regain his normal composure, a sly smile found his lips. His hand ruffled the damp blonde hair of his lover and although he gave incentive for Joey to get excited, he only murmured, "Finish your homework, Wheeler." The brunette was almost completely out the door by the time Joey had completely caught hold of his wits and realized he wasn't about to get the kiss he longed for.

"DAT'S the 'I'm home, honey' I get? 'Finish yer homework'?" The blonde fumed, shouting after Seto. "Get back here and do it properly!"


	19. Drama Shows

Author's Note: Sheesh, where did all the summer go? It is going to leave me for Autumn. I will have to say, I do enjoy wearing scarfs and stepping on crunchy leaves though.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Drama Shows

He was _finally_ finished. Seto looked at the computer screen, watching as the document was then transfered down to the lab at his company almost skeptical that such a long project could ever be completed. But when it rang with the 'successful sending' tone, he relaxed back into the seat of his chair with a sigh. The last of today's work. Sliding the laptop closed, Seto glanced up feeling the very bad urge to blink repeatedly. Computer screens, so bad for one's eyesight. But that wouldn't keep him from doing the same thing tomorrow. For now though..

He would go find Wheeler.

Surprisingly it didn't take long before Seto had found the blonde, who happened to be all the way in the second basement (because rich people had the right and ability to have a whole other bottom floor) watching television. Immediately when he walked in the door, Seto found, to his disgust, that Joey happened to be watching one of the many heart-wrenching, sob inducing drama shows that aired mostly for lonely, bored housewives.

Which Joey was _not_ so Seto saw no reason for him to be compelled enough to waste time with them. Then he paused and half nodded, well, maybe Joey was _kind of_ like a lonely housewife. When Seto had plenty of work.

But that didn't change the fact that Seto Kaiba hated drama shows.

"What are you doing, you worthless dog? Shouldn't you be-" Seto was thrown into speechlessness when he caught Joey in the middle of wiping away a big tear from his crying face. And then Seto could only blink, watch and then attempt to register a thought for the first minute.

Seto's eyes couldn't even begin to try to draw themselves away from the sight before him and while Joey timidly paused his show, Seto's mind hit full speed. _Crying. Okay. So it could completely be because of the show. But what self respecting man cries because of such a stereotypical thing? And one who used to be in a gang at that. So does this make it my fault? Don't get me wrong, I do rather enjoy his big, sloppy way of crying. It's so cute to see him get all emotional and upset, but I don't remember doing anything. Did I even get to cause this splurge of emotion? I'll be somewhat pissed if anybody other than _me_ got to make Joey cry._

The blonde blinked, letting several unrealized tears slide down his soft cheeks, curious as to why Seto stopped mid-sentence and began to intensely stare at him. Embarrassed to be caught crying because of his favorite drama, Joey messed with the hem of his shirt then his mind slammed against a wall. _What if Seto was jus' comin' up with his best remark on the fact that I was cryin'? Hell, he'll tear me apart!_

But nothing came to the brunette's ransacking mind and he was forced into asking out of desperate curiosity, "Why are you crying, Joey?" He didn't like not knowing, especially when it had to do with his most important and very favorite person.

The blonde sniffled a bit, rubbing his nose and frankly he couldn't help but be completely honest. "Its jus' so sad." He looked back to the screen for just a moment, his eyes bright with the whiteness of the frame, "Afta gettin' in a fight with her husband, they get in a car crash n'he has ta go ta the ER.." More tears fell down his cheeks as tried to choke them back, "N'she felt so bad."

With a soft sigh at his emotion driven puppy, Seto positioned himself on the end of the couch, leading Joey up off the floor and to the spot next to him. "You're hopeless." He wiped the wet streaks with the back of his hand gently from his lover's face, "Don't watch these shows if they make you sad."

Joey sniffled in response so Seto continued.

"I don't like knowing you're crying," He spoke softly while his hands brought Joey into a warm, comforting hug.

"Seto.." Joey blinked, surprised by the tenderness of the brunette's words. He didn't know that's how Seto felt inside-

"And I'm not the one who caused it." The words were barely over a hiss of hot air in his ear. Joey could _feel_ the mocking tone in his lover's _breath_. It only got worse when his body involuntarily shivered because of the heat against his neck so he tried to force Seto back with a groan, "Get offa me, you sicko!"

Seto only nibbled along the tanned skin with a murmur against the throat, "Not when you've gotten me so _excited_, my lovely teary eyed puppy."

Mokuba sighed from the doorway, folding his arms while he rested himself against the frame. He could only shake his head at the two, _really Seto, you're letting your sadistic side out again._


	20. Business Call

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews and everyone who has continued to support me, you mean a lot to me. Let's work hard this year too XD

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Business Call

Joey was usually a very deep sleeper, one of the deepest sleepers he'd even known. Kaiba had said to him once that only idiots sleep like logs and although it made him angry to be labeled as an idiot, Joey knew he could withstand plenty of annoyances without as much as rolling over in his sleep. But he couldn't, under any circumstances tolerate the bed being cold. It could've been a factor that came along during his childhood, or maybe it was a habit he fixated on himself during the last rough years that he just couldn't seem to break. But either way, it had come and it wasn't about to go away.

The blonde rolled over to the other side of the bed, stiffened against the sheets, groaning softly through sleepy lips. They were cold. Joey then shifted, breaking back up from the third stage of slumber. They were never cold, not with him always sleeping in Seto's room. The dazed, slightly confused brown orbs slowly made their way over across the room in sleepy question.

Shouldn't Seto be on this side of the bed? Joey sniffed, the sharp, inhuman cold sucking the warmth from his body by the blankets. Shouldn't he be asleep? The bed's cold. The bed's cold, and Seto hasn't been in it for a while.

Seeing the back of Seto facing him, standing at the dresser, straightening his tie out in the mirror above the piece of wood furniture, he tried to wipe the sleep from his brain. Mentally cursing his inability to wake up fully for a rather long time, this was a factor also relating to why he was late to school, the blonde couldn't quite understand why the brunette was getting fancied up at three in the morning.

Seto turned to face the blonde, although it wasn't to see Joey, it was to come back to grab the card he wore around his neck on the nightstand, sitting next to the side of the bed Joey was now laying on. The brunette had a graceful, yet strong way of walking, full of pride and seriousness. He never stumbled, maybe it was because he was so sure of himself, but Joey was pretty sure that Seto Kaiba had an inability to trip up over anything.

When Seto found the blonde, laying awake, staring sleepily at him, he half frowned. _Wheeler is supposed to be asleep at this hour._ "You're up." He said simply, grabbing the card.

"...you goin'?" The first part had been incoherently mumbled but Seto had caught what the mutt had been trying to say.

"I have a business meeting in another city. They informed me late last night; I have to catch an earlier flight. I'll be gone for a little while, couple days probably. Don't forget, although you probably will this early in the morning, I'll leave you a note, don't forget to go to school and tell Mokuba to do his-"

The brunette was interrupted, which was not allowed when speaking to Seto Kaiba, when Joey grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and mumbled, "Don' go."

But this level of almost desperate affection made Seto let go the fact that he had been interrupted. His puppy never acted like he actually needed the brunette. As is, the first one to begin to openly need the other lost. A fool's love game, the first to admit their need for the other was the loser. But, with those dazed, brown eyes staring up at him and the strong grip on his sleeve, Seto was surprised, Joey didn't make losing look all that terrible.

"Its work, I should probably go." Seto added the 'probably' because he was feeling a bit swayish and was, for once, having a difficult time deciding what he should do. Getting caught up between his work, or his...love? He snorted inwardly, love, such a silly thought-

"The bed's cold. I don' like it when its cold," The blonde said in a voice that could almost be called whiny, but in an adorable, message-underneath way. It was a voice that said, 'I don' like it when you're gone' and Seto found himself swaying towards staying.

He ran his fingers through the blonde's hair, "Go to sleep. You'll never get up at this rate."

"Mm." The blonde let his eyes slide closed. The bed had been warmed now too anyway. His grip loosened enough to the point where Seto thought he might be able to pull away, but didn't.

He sat down next to Joey and flipped out his phone, speed dialing a number. Joey snuggled closer to the warmth of the brunette and Seto couldn't help but run his hand over the blonde's body, admiring it.

"Tell them to do the meeting by themselves, I have better matters to attend to."

Maybe it was too early, maybe he was just as sleepy as his mutt, but the blonde had made his heart rate speed up past its normal numbers. And love is in the heart, right? So, Seto decided, he would let this conspiracy of 'love' take its course. He would wait till his puppy woke up.


	21. Tricky

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Tricky

Joey could whine. He was probably one of the most annoying whiners Seto had ever come across, Mokuba a close second. And when Joey was in a mood, well the whining was only just the beginning. He groaned and wailed and basically tried to annoy Seto into canceling all his plans.

"Shh, your barking his hurting my ears." Seto shot a furious warning glance, leaning over across the seat of the limo to straighten Joey's tie, silently thinking about fixing it a tad too tight to restrict any more noise from coming out. "You're not leaving until after we've had dinner. Don't disobey your Master, you filthy mongrel."

Joey backhanded both of the brunet's working hands, glowering with anger and hurt pride, "If I'm so filthy, then why'd ya force me ta come along with ya to one of yer fancy dinner meetings?" He demanded with a fierce increase to his volume, having utter dismay for Seto's want for him to quiet down. His voice was filled with bitter fury, and when that happened, his lip jutted out just barely. Enough to give him the look of a sulking child.

Seto sat back into his seat, folding his arms as he usually did when they got into an argument. He pretended it was his 'angry movement' but really he enjoyed their arguments because even an angry Joey was a cute Joey. "I wanted to clean you up, make you presentable. And look," He motioned lightly to Joey's suit, "I did a pretty good job. I'm sure no one will be able to tell that you're a dirty street monkey."

Joey's fists curled into themselves, "Dammit, yer a real prick!" The more he realized the insults Seto had lightly thrown his way the more he wanted to strangle the man. He lunged forward to grab Seto by the collar, hands prepared to be full of throat.

And Seto didn't mind the violent spark his former gang member of a lover had. He enjoyed the reactions, the act of never submitting no matter what. It made their relationship full of fire. But just because the puppy was cute didn't mean he wasn't going to try to win. His hand whipped out and snatched Joey's wrist, flipping the surprised blond around gracefully on his part.

After twisting Joey around like a rag doll in the space of the limo, Seto managed to force his mutt under him, with both arms above his head. Sure, Seto was a business man and had no need to know how to wrestle down an opponent. But he enjoyed a good pin down, especially with a flaming, angry Joey.

"Leggo of me! Turn this limo around!" Joey shouted, kicking his legs and wiggling with frustration under Seto. "I won' go!"

Seto leaned in farther, loosening his grip on Joey's hands, giving him the pretense that he could possibly regain his freedom. "What if I told you why I really wanted you to come? What if I said that I wanted you to be there because I love you and I want your support?" Seto smiled his usual devious smile, "Your support and attention means the most to me. I couldn't care less about the rest of these people."

Joey flushed red at the confession, quickly averting his chocolate brown eyes in embarrassment. He swallowed, trying to close his gaping mouth. He could see he was quickly losing this round but with such vibrant words of honest affection, he could only stutter, "F-f-fine..." And fall quickly into thinking, trying to rid himself of the rushing flutter in his chest and the heat that surrounded their two bodies.

Seto's eyes narrowed, his smirk widening only a tad; It was his point, he was about to win this battle.

"But only if you promise to spend the whole weekend with me." Joey quickly finished, letting a cheeky, although still slightly pink, smile spread across his lips. His fingers curled gently around the hand that had them pinned. He tried giving a coy look; He knew Seto thought he was cute.

With a blink of mild surprise, Seto placed a chaste kiss on the blonde's lips, "You've gotten good."

"I want to hear ya say ya promise," Joey shifted under the brunet, hips just barely grinding against the man above him. Then, being the tease he was, he nudged, "And get offa me, you're wrinkling my suit."

Seto chuckled with amusement, sneaky little puppy.


	22. Its Not Even Light Out

Author's Note: Ahh, guess what! UPDATE! :D Did you all miss me? ^^ Heh, heh. Well, anyways. I can't quite remember where the idea came from, but some of the inspiration came from the band Imogen Heap. Try some of her music, its really fabulous, my favorites are:

The Moment I Said It

Glittering Cloud

Earth

Aha!

(: Thank you everyone for the reviews and the support! Your words make my day.

Warning: AU

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Its Not Even Light Out

Tonight was like any other night. Important, but there was always a schedule and there was always work to be done, jobs to be complete, tasks to be eliminated.

And vampires to be killed.

After pulling on his gloves, Joey smoothed out his shirt and stepped around into the next room. His eyes dropped down onto the small shrine where his mother's picture sat, illuminated by two candles on either side. He rested down on the small pillow in front of her shrine, bowing gracefully.

"Wish me luck."

After a tragic mistake, his mother had been captured, raped and sucked dry only to be left on Joey's doorstep as a child. His father had disappeared soon after, leaving Joey alone to pull along the family reputation of being some of the best vampire slayers in the area. His mother had told him, the one rule that was to _never_ be uprooted, ever,

_"Don't let them pull you down and into their world, they'll never let you come back out. Its a vicious cycle, your job is to stop it."_

As the blonde pushed himself up off the ground, he mentally prepared himself. Getting beat was not an option. Getting captured was not acceptable. And becoming prey was just proof he wasn't a ready enough slayer.

And so, with hard thoughts and a heart set for revenge on all of the species that had murdered his own kin, Joey grabbed his stake and headed off outside, into the battle arena.

The night sky was illuminated by the faint glow of pinprick stars and the air was filled with the sound of rustling leaves in the smooth wind along with the soft crunching of Joey's shoes on the gravel.

His family owned a plot of land farther up in the mountains, up the trail and above the village they called 'home'. The small village had agreed it was a good spot, as though the family, of now one, was watching down on them from up in the sky. Protecting them with their lives, which was true.

_Except for my coward father,_ Joey thought bitterly although distantly as he scoped the area, pushing past a branch. It was quiet out on the field, not that it was that surprising, they _were_ smart creatures of the darkness.

A soft rustle was followed by a sharp, "Die, slayer boy!"

Joey knew they had been waiting for him. He was ready, these nights were what all the grueling training was for. The times he spent awake at night, and the chases through the scary forest. But the best teacher, Joey had decided as he whipped around, thrusting his arm out with the stake, was experience.

A scream gurgled through the skewered vampires lips, as he clawed and tore at the stake in his chest before bursting into dust. His gray dust covered Joey's hands, but he had many vampire's lives spewed across his soul. And it didn't bother him, he was set out to destroy them.

All of them.

Night was shifting, becoming darker before it would become lighter.

_Eight._ Joey mentally counted, staring down at his hands as the dust blew away in the wind. He had been hoping to set a new record, but they were slim tonight and the numbers dwindled.

Joey stiffened, slipping quietly into stance as a twig snapped behind him. This one was being obvious, he almost frowned, maybe they wanted a fight? A grin then spread across his features, _bring it._

Shifting his legs farther apart, he spun around as the crunching of shoes sounded towards him. Throwing out his arm in a stabbing motion, overhand in case they were taller than him, Joey stabled himself.

But, to his surprise and annoyance, the brunette had caught his wrist before the stake had impacted. The vampire that had caught him was tall, at least, taller than Joey and lean. His body looked like it was built just to look good, to look attractive.

_Attractive and toned-_ Joey let his eyes roam for a moment, before he grit his teeth and tried to force his wrist forward, to stab the damned creature of the night.

But the brunette held his arm still, unmoving. His sharp, ice blue eyes fell down to Joey. They locked gazes, one angry and slightly confused, the other cold and emotionless.

"Leggo of me!" Joey snapped, attempting now to bring his hand back. Instinct was telling him to get away from this demon, it was telling him he was in the danger zone now. If he didn't get back, get some distance, he was going to be dead in a moment.

But another side of him, a different side, was interested in the cold stare that bore down on him, unblinking. It wanted to lean in, to get closer. To fill itself with this vampire's scent.

And that part of him scared Joey. _This is what she was talking about._ His eyes widened and he began to struggle furiously, _Mother, help me._

"Hold still, little rabbit." The brunette finally spoke. He reached down and grabbed Joey's other wrist, "Stop struggling."

Joey snapped, "Don' you dare lay your disgustin' fangs on me! I'll kill ya! I'll tear ya to shreds, ya filthy vampire!"

The vicious threat made the taller of the two chuckle, a smirk spreading across his features. He stepped forward so Joey stepped back. He only learned this was a bad choice when his back met tree bark.

"Dammit, I mean it! Leggo of me!" Joey's hand shook with muscle strain when he tried to shimmy from the other's grip.

"Do you really want me to let go?" The vampire leaned down into Joey's face. They were surprisingly so close already, their bodies were almost touching. "Or do you want me to get closer?"

This question confused Joey. With a fluttering heartbeat and a running mind, he couldn't decide what he wanted. What did he want? He had been so sure a moment ago. Who had he been asking for help? There was something he was supposed to be remembering, all the time. He wasn't supposed to forget.

Joey's eyes flickered back and forth, his arms going slack in the vampire's grip. Was he going to get in trouble when he got home? If he could make his way back home that is. That thought made him giggle, what was the way again? Oh dear, he was going to get lost at this rate! Joey laughed even louder.

Surprise floated around in his emotions and stopped the laughing. The vampire was leaning down into him. Joey opened his mouth as the brunette pushed his lips against his. _This is something I'm sure I want. Isn't it?_

**_It is._**

A voice had answered him. Obviously it had to be right, it was in his head, so it had to be right.

Judgment had become twisted, emotion and need had become more important than reasoning and rules and Joey had become pulled down into Seto's world. Although he had been determined not to be, he was being tied down and his wings as a human were being cut. And he couldn't understand the situation.

He didn't even want to understand the situation.

The title of 'slayer' was lost but the newer one of 'lover' had been gained. But for what price?

He couldn't even began to say. But there was no hesitation anymore. The stake fell down from Joey's hand, rolling across the ground, away from the two.

Eight destroyed.

One captured.

Thoughts of revenge were lost and the killing urge had faded into passion. And love had been discovered, created from curiosity.

Two fell in love.

A slayer was lost.

And a village once called home drifted from memory.


	23. Mischievous Behavior

Author's Note: (: Well looky here, a fluff! ...Or, in my eyes, a fluff. Its short and almost sweet, so...close enough. Surprisingly, I've been creating more time to write. (Yes, this one is short, so there shouldn't be much pride buuut..) I would have to say, its an accomplishment.

Thank you for your support, especially those who support me through thick and thin, and all my ideas(: I'd love to hear from all, which kind of oneshots do you like best? Coming from my writing of course. I think it'll decide what kind of theme my next one will have, so ANSWER UP. (: Thanks!

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Mischievous Behavior

"Ouch!" Joey flinched, swerving away from the brunette and slapping a quick hand over his neck. He gave Seto a hard look as he exclaimed, "Ya jus' bit me!"

"No, I didn't." Seto said simply, denying it as he shuffled through a huge stack of his work papers, acting as casual as could be. Looking at him, no one would suspect that he would indeed bite Joey, a love bite, if he got the chance.

"Yes ya did!" Joey could still feel the pressure pushing into his soft skin, the hot heat of Seto's breath and he could STILL feel the pain of the nibble. "I have the bite marks ta prove it!" He yanked down the collar of his shirt, revealing the outline of someone's teeth, surrounded by red, hurt skin.

"Those aren't mine." Seto said lightly, shrugging it off. He was acting so non-chalant, it only made Joey angrier.

"THEY ARE!" He screeched, "Stop playin' with me! I mean it, Seto!" He thrust a thumb at the bite marks, "These are yours!"

Seto glanced down to the bite, his eyes cold and calculating. Then he looked back up to Joey, "Really? Let's find out, shall we?" The brunette then glided over and leaned in...

Joey blinked, surprised at the gracefulness, the smooth movements of the CEO of whom he was very angry with until he yelped loudly.

Seto had chomped on his neck! They both looked down to the swelling mark. Joey in shocked anger and Seto with an indifferent composure. He then smirked, looking between the two violent love marks.

"Oh. You're right. They're both mine." Seto continued smirking and grabbed his papers. His eyes shined with an amused yet playful glimmer, "You were right all along, mutt."

Joey, his collar still half off his slim body, two huge bite marks on his neck and his eyes wide in surprise, finally let the situation hit him like a wave. "HEY!" He ran after Seto, "Ya tricked me! Ya jus' wanted to bite me twice! Ya'd never let me win that easy!"

Not unless there was something in it for the devious Seto Kaiba, he wouldn't.


	24. Closets, Tricks and Confessions

Author's Note: I couldn't sleep. ._. But a oneshot was born from my lack of rest! So enjoy!

Thank you all! I appreciate everything you've all done up till now! LET'S CONTINUE ON! XD

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Closets, Tricks and Confessions

"Oomph!" Joey's feet caught up in each other, pulling his center gravitation to hell and bringing him down to the hard floor. He brought his arms up in instinct and protected his face as he slid a few feet across the tiled floor then hurriedly pushed himself up onto one hand.

"EY!" He exclaimed angrily as the guilty pusher sneered down at him from the doorway.

The other school boy put his hands on his hips and said distastefully, "Stupid Wheeler, that's what ya get for belonging to this school. Have fun for the next couple hours. Hopefully someone will find you. Or..." A nasty, crooked grin found the gang member's face, "Hopefully not."

His lackeys giggled and snickered, looking to each other from behind the higher ranked one.

Shoes steps echoed across the floor and a cold voice asked in an almost _annoyed_ tone, "What are you doing?"

In a flurry not to get caught in an enemy school's halls, the three delinquents rushed to shove the CEO of Kaiba Corp. into the closet as well. Although, unlike Joey, he simply took a couple quick steps forward to catch his balance from being shoved then stood his ground.

The door slammed shut, leaving them in a dim, dusty and dank, and _very small_ school closet. It looked as though it hadn't been used in some time, which wasn't very good signs for the boys.

Joey scrambled to his feet and rammed into the door, "Get back 'ere, bastards! So I can kick yer asses!" He pounded an angry fist against the door several times but was returned with silence.

Seto stood over near the back with his hands in his pockets of his school uniform. He hadn't needed to work today, and his coat was at the dry cleaner's anyway. With an annoyed sigh, he glanced over to Joey who was still continuously pounding on the door.

"They're gone, you know." He rolled his eyes, which almost seemed to shine in the dark room. "Screaming like a dying animal isn't going to change that. Or get us out of here, for that matter." He added simply, casually, as if he didn't care that he was possibly trapped in the closet with no way out.

"Shuddup!" Joey shot back over his shoulder, gripping his fists tighter against the wooden surface. _Outta all dah people, I had t'get this PRICK._ He stole another glance back and squeaked when he noticed Seto was standing right behind him.

He flipped around, shuffling closer to the door so his back was against it. He steadied himself with his hands and mumbled, "W-wha?"

Seto stared down at him coldly in response. His stance was casual yet menacing. For more than a minute, the two boys kept their gazes locked before Seto cracked his sadistic grin.

"Mutt."

While Joey fought for a comeback, Seto returned to the back of the room and sat down, sighing lightly but his eyes were still shining with devious intention. As if he was _daring_ Joey to say something back.

"Y-you..!" The blonde choked out angrily, snapping one finger at him, shaking it slightly for effect. Even though he had nothing to return fire with. His arm drooped and he quickly turned his head away, embarrassed by his comeback, "Shuddup.."

Seto folded his arms with a mocking snort in Joey's general vicinity. "Come here, Wheeler." He finally spoke, after another moment of silence.

"I don' wanna." Joey said childishly, staying right against the door, "I don' trust ya." He stuck his tongue out at the brunette.

"Hm." Seto smirked at such a response and stood gracefully, "I wouldn't either. I _did_ run my father from his own business just for my own sake,I do constantly trick you, and play games with you and your friends." As he was saying this, he was narrowing the space between himself and the blonde. He put one hand on either side of the nervous Joey, trapping him. "But, guess what." He murmured in Joey's ear.

And Joey couldn't help but need to answer, "W-wha...?" He let it slip through his lips, feeling surprisingly hot and distracted. The brunette _was_ an attractive body.

Then he caught himself being kissed by the same CEO, passionately and skillfully. Seto pushed Joey closer to the door and knocked a fist twice on the wood. Joey's mouth opened for air, but instead got a wondrous surprise. Seto slid his tongue in between Joey's lips and deepened the kiss before Joey fell back into the light of the hallway with a thud, "Wah!"

Seto licked his lips, "I haven't changed yet." He stepped over Joey who was in shocked silence. "Come on, Marian." He said to his secretary who quickly handed the money over to the boys who had shoved Joey into the closet in the first place. She squeaked then followed quickly behind, pushing up her glasses as the keys to the closet jingled in her fingers.

Joey rolled onto his stomach, cheeks red from the french kiss and close quarters, and screamed, "YA TRICKED ME!"

Seto turned around with his hands in his pockets and smiled his usual smile, "Did you expect anything less? I even warned you, mutt. But," He chuckled darkly, "You weren't half bad."

"I hope you die!" Joey shouted back furiously, blushing again with the inappropriate compliment. He slammed his fists against the tiled floor.

"But then you would miss our games, wouldn't you?" Seto answered simply and walked into a room, where his class was being held while his nervous secretary teetered in behind him.

"...Maybe." Joey admitted to himself as he laid still in the hallway. _Maybe a little._


	25. A Day in the Life of a Dragon and a Mutt

Author's Note: XD I know, I know, its kinda short, but I just think its so...FUNNY. I had a blast with this one. I won't lie :P So, I heard one of MY favorite little authors is not having a good day (or period of life span, however you choose to look at it, ANYHOW) REIZBAR-OOKAMI! I HERBY DEDICATE THIS ONESHOT TO HELPING YOUR MOOD. And anyone else who needs a giggle (:

Thanks everyone! I love all your support! GEEZ, I couldn't be anymore grateful.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

A Day in the Life of a Dragon and a Mutt

With a grimace of pain, Joey attempted to jerk his arm back quickly, "Ow, that hurts!" He loudly complained with a sharp tone so he could get his point across that it _REALLY_ hurt. He was as far away from the other person as his arm would let him, and was stiff with preparation for any more pain.

But Seto held his arm still, "Stop moving around so much." He ordered simply, looking up from the gravel filled, bloody wound only to give Joey a hard, annoyed look. Of course, since he had to deal with cleaning the violent thing, he wanted it done proficiently and quickly.

"But you're hurtin' me!" The blonde managed to whine louder than before. His big brown eyes flicked up from the gash also to give Seto one of his famous 'pathetic puppy looks'.

Seto immediately looked back down and continued picking dirt and grit from Joey's arm as he fell into a silence. For a moment, the only noise between them was the soft 'clink' of the dirt falling into the bowl that Seto was dropping in.

Joey frowned, close to the point of pouting, getting mildly frustrated with the brunette, "Ey, Moneybags, don' ignore me."

"You were trying to lure me in with a false look of despair. One which," He glared Joey down farther into his seat, "I have fallen for one too many times. Such as the time you told me Mokuba tripped you down the stairs, and I treated you to dinner but the actual story was you fell over your own pants because you were too impatient to put them on before trying to run down the flight of stairs." Seto began and soon after pushed himself up from his own seat to cast his shadow over the shrinking blonde, "Or the time you told me that the teacher was out to get you, so I specifically hired a very _expensive_ tutor to help you with your studies but in reality you just weren't doing your homework or paying attention on class and you wanted someone to do your work." Seto's voice was rising with each sentence, becoming more and more angry and more and more scary, "Or the time-"

"Okay, okay! I got it!" Joey cried, holding up his hands in a sign of defeat, "M sorry!" He let his voice drop along with his eyes to the table, "But this time it wasn' my fault.."

Seto felt a bubble of rage boil up inside him, "You got into a fight with a guy over the last melon bread. How is it NOT your fault?"

"IT WAS MINE!" Joey slammed up from the table also, feeling extremely defensive in such a position. Food, that's what it was about, food. And nobody, that meant NOBODY, was allowed to challenge Joey for food and win.

"He paid for the damn thing, how does it make it yours?" Seto rolled his eyes, sighing slightly, "Sometimes I think the only thing that's going through your head is food." He leaned closer and flicked Joey on the forehead in a scolding manor before grabbing the medicine and bandages.

He wasn't far off with that assumption.

"Ey! I think 'm supposed ta take offense ta that!" Joey said, but in a more hesitant tone than angry as he was mulling over the possibility while watching Seto wrap his arm. "Bu' I don' think your wrong.." He then chuckled, rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment.

Seto rolled his eyes, of course he wasn't wrong. He was _always_ right. "You're hopeless. Maybe I should start calling you 'pig' instead of 'mutt'."

"EY!" Joey exclaimed, clenching his hands into fists. His eyes burned with fury at being called an animal that could rather enjoyably spend its time in mud and muck. "Thas' uncalled for!"

Seto paused, placing his hand to his chin, deep in thought.

Then he nodded once, in sign of agreement, "You're right, that's unreasonable. Who keeps pigs as pets?"

"SETO!"

* * *

Author's Note: Want me to dedicate a chapter to you? You've got two choices, be AWESOME, or give me a shout out! I'll certainly do it (: If you're creative about it, mwhaha!


	26. Cherry Stems

Author's Note: Heyyo! MageryDoe here :D Well, here's a fancy little idea I got from one of my friends, AnimeKeepsMeSane ! So all credit to this idea goes to them! XD THANKS! it was fun to write x3

So, guess who just got their wisdom teeth out? ...ME. Oh, goody goodness, ME. It hurts so bad! SO BAD. I'm so sad ): *tear tear*

Thanks everyone for your love! :D

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Cherry Stems

Slamming the little bottle of cherries on top of the dining room table in front of Seto, Joey smirked proudly, "Let's have a competition, Moneybags!" He snorted in pride of such a wondrous idea, feeling extremely confident in his abilities.

Seto, who had been working up until the fated interruption, placed his chin on his palm and glanced between the bottle of cherries and the blonde, "With cherries...?" His voice sounded hesitant and Joey took that as a sign that the brunette had no clue what he was about to announce.

This filled him with even _more_ confidence, if such a thing was possible. Joey put his hand on his hip, flicking the lid of the cherries off with his thumb, "Ya hafta tie da cherry stem in a knot with yer tongue." This was about to be an epic defeat for Seto, a glorious win for Joey.

"Hm, sounds simple enough I guess." Seto nodded once, sliding some of his papers away for safety, "If a mutt like you can do it." He grabbed one of the small, round fruits up from the bottle and waited for Joey while saying, "Let's make it interesting."

"Fine by me," Joey grinned. He had no doubt in his mind that he was going to win. Seto didn't even look like he had ever tried such a thing before.

"If I win, you have to serve me," Seto smirked, staring intently at the orb of red he held by its stem, "In a maid suit. A really, _really_ sexy maid-"

"Okay, okay!" Joey quickly interrupted him, blushing with embarrassment at such an idea. "Ya hafta STOP sayin' those things if I win." He pulled his own cherry out of the bottle, his fingers shaking slightly from the picture that was now embedded in his brain.

Both boys stuck the cherries in their mouth, chewing off the fruit before holding up their stems. They shared a quick look, a look between competitors.

"Ya ready? Go!"

Joey could almost smirk at his luck, he had been practicing for this moment a long time. His time had beaten Yugi's, Yami's, Tea's, Mokuba's-

"Done." Seto said, pulling the knotted stem out. It had been less than ten seconds. And defeat was about to become frilly and high heeled for Joey.

"Eh!" Joey gawked, staring down at the cherry stem that was indeed tied perfectly. "H-how.. did ya..? You were playin' stupid, weren' ya? Ya knew how ta do this all along!" He stuttered with an accusing tone, trying to find a way to weasel his way out of the bet. _Anything_ to get out of the maid outfit.

"First time." Seto set the stem down, smirking up to the blonde, "Guess that just proves that I'm a really good kisser. Now, come on, I already have the outfit set out. Just for you." Seto motioned for the trembling Joey to follow, "It has your measurements and _everything_. The colors will really make your blonde hair stand out." He continued, smiling in his devilish way while placing another cherry in his mouth.

Victory was sweet.


	27. I'll Tutor You

Author's Note: OKAY. Here we are! lifeinanarchy, I did my best o_o The idea seemed to fit into what you wanted...Kinda XD This beautiful little oneshot is dedicated to lifeinanarchy because of their AWESOME factor XD

Thanks for all of you being great people and propelling me this far! TWENTY SEVEN! WOW. I'm in a blissful puppyshipping world ^^ Come join me all XD And continue to be kind to me! I'll take ideas and suggestions (: Cause we all know we're all big puppyshipping lovers :D

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

I'll Tutor You

"F?" Joey screeched, staring at the test with the large red letter circled at the top, "I failed!" His hands began to shake which made him crumple the paper slightly. His head drooped at the sting of failure and his best friend patted him on the shoulder sympathetically.

"Everyone fails every once in a while.." Yugi smiled nervously, the small boy trying to comfort him, "Its nothing to get too upset about, Joey."

"Says you, Yug!" The blonde exclaimed, jerking his head up with tears in his eyes, "I don' get anything in dis damn class-!" The paper was then completely crushed between his two hands as he brought them together, "At dis rate, I'm gunna fail!"

Now, nobody says he was eaves dropping, although he did hear most of the conversation. And his intention really _was_ to listen to what the mutt had to say, but no matter what had really been the cause, Seto Kaiba had overheard what the two boys had been talking about from his own seat in the classroom.

And he felt it was sort of his _duty_ to keep tabs on the former gang member, Joey Wheeler, as he was the top of his class and well, perfect. More or less, _perfect people should help the non-perfect people_, was how he felt about the situation. Plus Seto's love for the blonde. But he liked to look at that as a secondary motivation. _Gain power then focus on emotion._

"I can help you."

Joey blinked away the tears, looking over his shoulder to the brunette who was staring down at him coldly, the usual emotionless, dark stare. The way he stood almost threateningly above the sitting blonde, how his school uniform clung to his finely toned yet somehow intimidating body with its dark colors, and the fact that he _was_ Seto Kaiba made Yugi take several involuntary steps back.

"You wha?" Joey gave him a baffled look, like he was looking at Seto in a mini skirt and six inch heels.

Seto snorted, rolling his ice blue eyes so naturally, because he so regularly did it around the blonde. "I can tutor you. So you don't become a high school drop out. I mean, what could be worse than a street born, high school failing mutt? It'd be pathetic, you little dog, so I decided to take pity on you and offer you my help."

"WHY IN ALL A HELL WOULD I TAKE HELP FROM A GUY LIKE YA?" Joey slammed up from his own desk, ignoring the fact that he had just thrown his test paper away. It had been long forgotten when the mention of him being a 'street born mutt' came along.

Yugi scratched his cheek meekly, timidly yet masterfully butting his way into the conversation, "Well, Seto _is_ at the top of the class."

With a grunt and a small blush of defeat, Joey folded his arms. "Fine. I'll take yer offer. But only 'cause I don' wanta fail." The blonde squirmed, he hated when Seto seemed to weasel his way through his defenses, the way he seemed to be so close to him yet he was always out of reach and the way he SEEMED to always have good intentions when he made offers such as this one.

Seto pushed his hand into his pocket, "I'll be a really good tutor, mutt. I promise. You'll learn _so_ much." A smirk was beginning to form across his face, one that was far from a sweet, innocent smile. Joey could plainly see the malicious intent shining in those blood curdling eyes. "Here's your key to get into my house, Wheeler." Seto placed the silver object in Joey's open palm before leaving the classroom. _Power obtained._

Joey stared down at the key, then he skeptically looked to Yugi, giving him a look, "What did ya get me into?"

xxx

"This is too much, Moneybags.." Joey muttered to himself, sighing while he craned his neck to get the whole view of Seto's mansion. It stretched on for what seemed like acres, the land around the large building seemingly untouched and yet looked like someone took plenty of time and love to nurture it. Exotic flowers and plants were placed perfectly around the CEO's porch, all even, all symmetrical to the other side.

It took him far longer than he expected it to, but when Joey finally managed to get himself to the porch, he almost couldn't bring himself to ring the doorbell. _I feel so outta place here,_ He thought nervously, trying to force his finger to reach the very few centimeters forward to the bell. _Stupid bastard bein' rich and FANCY-_

"Joey?" A young voice called as footsteps sounded behind him.

"Irk!" Joey jumped around, slamming himself against the door, his chest heaving with deep breath. "M-Mokuba? Its just you.." He stuttered, giving a jagged smile to Seto's younger brother. He subconsciously let out a sigh of relief.

They hadn't spoken much to one another, so Joey was also weary of the small Kaiba. He did have _Seto_ blood running through his small veins. He could be just as cable of evil as his older brother.

Mokuba was holding a basketball in his small hands. As he cocked his head to the side, the raven haired child said simply, "Of course its me, I live here. What are you doing here? Are you..." He seemed mildly surprised, "Here for Seto? Did he finally invite you over?"

Joey felt his racing heart return to a reasonable and _not_ life threatening speed as he peeled himself from the door, "Finally?"

Mokuba smiled sweetly, his small boyish charms gleaming, "Oh, nothing. Come on, I'll lead you up to his room." As he passed Joey, the smile dropped off his face and he rolled his eyes, _Took you long enough, brother._

xxx_  
_

"This way, Joey." Mokuba waved the blonde on, waiting for him at the end of a hallway as the older boy huffed, clinging to a wall.

"What's...with this...house?" He grumbled detestably, out of breath. "So many corridors.." The fact that Seto owned a large mansion irked Joey from the start, but the way it was a lot larger on the inside really set him off. _Who the HELL needs a house this large for a family a two?_-! He thought angrily as he forced himself down the hallway after Mokuba.

And when they finally made it into one of the studies that Seto favored, Joey was ready to tear his ridiculously calm classmate a new one.

"Enjoy yourselves now." Mokuba beamed, slamming the door from behind Joey who was heaving with his need for oxygen.

"You made it. And you're only," Seto took a glance to the wall clock in the room, "Twenty minutes late." He turned in his chair to face the blonde as Joey finally got down to his last nerve.

"Wha' the hell, Moneybags? Why's it my fault tha' I'm late when ya din't even come down ta get me?" He demanded, clenching his hands into fists as though he was preparing to throw the first hit. "Ya HAD ta have it at your house, so ya should be hospitable!"

"I gave you a key, didn't I?" Seto waved his hand, brushing the matter away, "Don't be such a baby. You made it here in one piece, be glad I told the security what you looked like. Now come here."

_Security?_ Joey frowned while he stepped forward, sliding his bag to the floor. _One piece?_ Joey was beginning to suspect that there was far more to this house than it just being big.

"Before we start, I want you to know something, Mutt." Seto grabbed Joey's arm, pulling the blonde forward so he stood between the brunette's legs, "You're my first student."

"Huh?" Joey looked down at Seto with his large, honey eyes. Surprised graced his features, "First?" He then pushed his lips together into a thin line, feeling a little flustered, _its not like we're talkin' 'bout sex or nuthin. _Even if saying 'the first' made it seem like they were._  
_

"People ask, but I turn them all down. Do you know why?" Seto pulled Joey down by the arm. They're faces were inches apart. _Emotion, in check._ Seto's all seeing eyes watched Joey swallow nervously and he wanted to smirk, _cute_. "Its because none of them are good enough to be my student. There's only one person I want to be teaching," Seto brushed his lips to Joey's, the smooth surface of the blonde's pretty lips, "And that's you, Joey Wheeler."

"Wha-" Joey didn't even have time to react as he was tossed back onto a leather sofa on his back, "Oomph!" He glanced around at his situation then kicked out when he saw Seto lean down onto him, _How in the world did we make it over here?-!_, "MONEYBAGS!" The heat was crawling up his face as kisses were dropped on his bare neck and Joey once again craned his neck upward, but for a far different reason._  
_

"Ya never intended ta teach me english, did ya?-!"

"Never."


	28. Late Homework With Realizations

Author's Note: WOAH. :D Close to one HUNDRED REVIEWS? Man! XD That makes me really happy! *Swoons* I wonder who will be the one hundredth? XD Whoever it is, YOU'RE AWESOME!

Thank you all so much! I love you guys ^^

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Late Homework With Realizations 

Joey was simply, normally, doing homework. To be exact, it was make-up work as he hadn't done his homework for the last couple classes, but homework it was all the same. Math had always been a far fetched struggle to stay afloat for him, so it was taking all his concentration to attempt to find the answer to the problem.

He chewed on the tip of the pencil, running his hand up into his hair as he stared at the problem, willing his brain to solve it. The daylight had long gone away and hours had fallen into Joey's pile of work. The lamp next to him gave off a hearty, candle like glow from his desk, keeping him from working in the darkness of his room.

Mokuba's faint music played from several doors over, but it couldn't catch Joey's attention. Determination kept his eyes glued to the paper. Plus, Seto had said he would be working later tonight, so the brunette wasn't around to annoy.

And speaking of a cold and serious CEO, he had just finished with his meeting. And although it had gone relatively well, Seto still felt as though his boardroom was full of dumbass, slow talking weasels who were trying to pull wool over his eyes. _Fools_.

He slung his coat over a chair in the kitchen, slightly surprised to see Joey was NOT eating. _No midnight snack?_ Was his first thought as he glanced to his watch that blinked: 11:42. _Strange_.

He made his way up the stairs to the hallway filled with bedrooms, immediately noticing how Mokuba scrambled to turn down his music.

With a small snort at the foolishness of his younger brother, Seto slipped into the doorway of Joey's 'rented' room. Frankly, only Joey thought he was borrowing the room. Seto had no intention of ever letting the blonde move. Ever.

His ice blue eyes fell upon the slumped yet finely crafted figure at the desk. He could see Joey had run his hand up into his hair line, concentrating. Which was strange to see him do, as Joey felt thinking was a secondary motion to acting. The pencil in the blonde's tanned hand flicked back and forth in the air, following a hidden beat with his foot that was bouncing in another silent attempt to keep Joey's attention on track. Even with the white tee blocking the brunette's sight of the tanned skin underneath, he could still see the outlines of his sharp shoulder blades.

_How did I not notice it all before?_ Seto leaned against the door frame, folding his arms loosely across his tie and chest. He had never noted how much he relied on Joey just being there, being around. Seto had a strong dependence on Joey just being Joey, just hanging around and eating his food, sleeping on his furniture. The beauty of the normalcy of _his_ puppy.

With a graceful and silent step forward, he placed a hand on Joey's golden blonde head, leaning down. "Twenty eight." He murmured into Joey's ear, only needing one glance at the math problem.

"Huhh? When did ya- How did ya...?" Surprised jumped into the blonde's features as he took a glance to Seto. His eyes fluttered back down to the problem and obvious understanding filled the honey brown orbs. "Yer right, Moneybags." He scribbled in the answer.

While he slightly ruffled the mutt's hair, Seto straightened up and said, in the most caring voice he could muster, "Keep getting your answers wrong. So I can continue to correct them."

Joey gave him a skeptical look, slowly lowering his pencil down to the desk top, "Huh? Wrong?" He took another quick glance to his paper, "Some a them are wrong?" Big brown eyes stared up at Seto.

"Four, seven, nine and ten."

"Awh, damn!" The blonde whined, devastation smeared onto his face. The look wasn't half bad, but Seto preferred a happier, go lucky mutt rather than a broken down, sobbing one.

He enjoyed how Joey relied on him for such things as math, transportation, food and the small simple parts of life that he probably didn't even notice he needed Seto for.

"I'll loan you my help," Seto offered with a snort of discontent, as though Joey was wasting his time with his inability to solve math problems at this level, "But only if you do something for me." He added simply, looking down upon the blonde.

"Nothin' strange, Moneybags. I don' wanna dress up as anythin'-"

"You can only ask me for help." Seto cut him off quickly, cosplay would be another time. Another time when Joey least suspected it. "Nobody else but me is allowed to help you. And that includes Mokuba." Although he suspected he already had the oblivious mutt in the palm of his hand, Seto still felt the strong need to monopolize every one of Joey's movements; He didn't want to share.

Joey leaned back in the chair, tipping it onto two legs dangerously, "Whatever ya say, Moneybags. Yer smart enough anyway."

"Now go get yourself your midnight snack so you don't start whining, you annoying mutt." Seto rolled his eyes, feeling a proud smirk fall into place on his face. _MY Joey._

They shared a simple stare with one another, Seto leaning up against the bottom bed railing with his arms folded while Joey was sitting in the chair, tilted at a dangerous angle.

"Didya get-"

"Yes, I got more meat."


	29. If Chances Come Along

Author's Note: XD ... I feel that no matter what Seto does, he's going to be pretty good at it. Except for expressing his feelings, XD. But other than that, he seems like one of those God-like people that everyone's like "How DOES he DO that?" ENJOY.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

If Chances Come Along

The almost dog like actions that took part in the two boys playing video games together was amusing enough. The way they rolled across the floor and panted, barking out random words and twisting their limbs as though it would help them defeat their opponent. But the fact that Seto got to openly watch Joey for a long period of time made the digital world very useful.

Joey flung himself up into the air, pumping a fist, "I WON! I WON! 'M A WINNER!" He cheered, his cheeks rosy from excitement and heat. The game screen flashed on his side, the words "WINNER" circling around his character of choice.

Mokuba gave him a sharp look, but kept to himself, attempting to accept the loss. He was good at fighting, brawling games and he had beaten all his friends until they no longer wanted to play the game, but he could never quite beat Joey. Being a child, he couldn't quite let it go, so he muttered under his breath, "Proves what kind of life you live."

Joey smirked, narrowing his eyes down at the raven haired child, "Yer just jealous. Ya can beat me at racing games, and at strategy games but ya CAN'T BEAT ME IN FIGHTING GAMES." The blonde did a quick victory while singing, "Uh-huh, go Joey, uh-huh!"

Seto hid a smirk behind his his hand that he leaned upon, _such a mutt._ But it gave someone for Mokuba to play with when no one else was around. And he surely wouldn't be-

"Brother, why don't you go against Joey?" Mokuba smiled, recovered from the loss. He would just get a new racing game from the top company and trick Joey into playing. Then he would crush the blonde' skinny ass and administer revenge. "Come take my controller."

Seto eyed his brother silently from behind his hand, sitting in the chair over near the wall. He could see some sort of evil intent flowing from Mokuba, even though he was smiling pleasantly. It made the brunette uneasy so he said, "No."

Joey glanced over, finally finished with his gloating. He'd always been a sore winner and loser. "Why not? It'll be fun." He agreed, waving his own controller towards the CEO as he plopped back down onto the floor. "Come play a round."

"Did you both not hear me? I said no."

Mokuba gave him a pouty look, his large eyes growing even bigger with disappoint. "Come on, it'll be fun."

With a sharpened stare towards the younger Kaiba, Seto gave in hesitantly. "I've never played before." He admitted, hoping it would get him out of the whole ordeal. But each boy encouraged the first time, patting his shoulder.

Seto rolled his eyes and picked up the controller, glancing over to Joey's hand position. Then his eyes flicked up to the screen, scanning the choice of characters. His eyes shimmered with the flashing lights, _strategy. Its all about strategy._ He smirked inwardly. _This will be easier than I thought._

"Joey, if I win for my first round," Seto started.

"Which is impossible," Mokuba added in a mutter which made his brother push him away.

"Then you have to play one of my games." The brunette offered out, suspecting that Joey would think this an easy win, _and_ a normal game if the one in a million chance that he lost came around.

Which was completely true, "Sure, okay. Yer goin' down though, Moneybags." He grinned, his tanned skin glimmering even in the basement lights, "I don' play nice, ya know."

"Neither do I." Seto smirked, feeling victory seep into his bones already.

The game started, the loud hardcore music blasting into the room. The excitement in the room all led to Joey, one could feel the energy from across the basement. Seto seemed less than indifferent, and gained no pleasure from the fast paced digital world. The button clicking was muffled by the many stereos that Mokuba had gained for the Tv but he could tell that the clicking was intense.

With a lowering sound, the game voice screamed down, "YOU LOSE!" And Joey's player tumbled to the ground while his eyes went wide. A horrified expression formed onto his face as his controller rolled out of his hands to the ground with a clunking noise.

"WHAT! Ya even picked the PIXIE FAIRY!"


	30. A Box of Donuts

Author's Note: Well, I felt so bad for leaving you guys for so long before and it was just my birthday last friday, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! Here's you guys a present! Two chapters in one day! They practically wrote themselves. (:

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction except for several names mentioned.

* * *

A Box of Donuts

The question had startled the blonde, and slightly confused him at the same time.

"What do you think you're doing?"

He turned to face the brunette with a surprised, yet not guilty look, (he didn't quite know he was doing wrong,) and his hand was still inches away from the glistening donut sitting in the box. "Well, I think 'm gettin' a donut-"

With a glare, that made Joey flinch slightly, Seto reached out and grabbed Joey's wrist. "You cannot have one of those for the last time, mutt. Don't I feed you enough already? Maybe we should change your nickname to pig instead."

"Ima growin' boy," Joey said reasonably in his defense, nodding his head once for good measure. He eyed Seto up and down warily, seeing as the brunette was not in his usual work clothes, "Anyways, ya never minded me takin' a donut before."

"Well, those donuts were bought for a specific bottomless pit puppy that I seemed to have taken up feeding," Seto's explanation made Joey blush and laugh with an embarrassed tone, rubbing the back of his blonde head, "But these donuts are for Mokuba's birthday party."

"So?" Joey pursed his lips, "M be here to celebrate too. So I don' see why-"

"He told me specifically not to let you into the box."

A flabbergasted expression was followed by Joey shouting, "THA' LIL'TWERP!" He flailed, throwing an angry fist around in the air, as he grumbled, muttered and ranted about how it was completely unfair that one little kid wouldn't allow his brother's ONLY friend a donut.

Seto was rather indifferent to the whole situation. He had never much enjoyed donuts, and couldn't see why anyone particularly wanted to eat a piece of bread fried in oil then covered in shiny fat. The only reason he had gotten involved was to please his younger brother. And to spend more time with Joey. But he couldn't see any reason for getting so upset that Mokuba didn't want Joey to eat the whole box of donuts. Again. Unless he was aiming to put on weight and become an obese child.

But amazingly enough, no matter how much Joey seemed to wolf down, he never filled out any of his clothes. His skinny frame remained the same, and his bones were still completely visible to the naked eye. And Joey enjoyed eating over anything else two thirds of the time.

"Thas not fair though! Its one donut!" Joey complained loudly after he had finished his tangent of grumbles and snippets that hardly made sense anyway.

Seto smirked inwardly, _what a child. A tantrum then whining? I'm going to have my hands full, not that I mind._ "You can have a donut tomorrow, when the maid gets back from her weekly shopping. I'll tell her speficially- PUT THAT DONUT DOWN, YOU STUPID DOG."

Joey dodged Seto's hand that tore through the air in an attempt to grab him. Then the blonde scurried around the corner of the island counter, looking rather triumphant, "AHA!" He held up the donut, "Nothin' ya can do now!"

Seto seemed to rumble with anger, his eyes narrowing with silent fury. Joey's smile fell into a nervous one, as he began to grow more anxious. He could just see the black aura flowing around the CEO, growing larger by the minute. It was probably going to engulf him into a sea of death if he got caught.

"W-wait!" He shot off again, sliding across the slick wooden floors in his socks as Seto took to the chase.

Joey let the donut hang from his mouth, so he could just both hands to propel himself forward, narrowly dodging another one of Seto's hands.

Meanwhile, Mokuba and several of his friends were making their way towards the kitchen, "First we can hang out by the pool, and call everyone else down. You know, Missie and Takume, they said they wanted to tan out in the nice weather today," As the other boys agreed, nodding their heads, the group turned around the corner into the kitchen, finding Seto and Joey.

Seto had pinned both Joey's arms to the floor and straddled the blonde's legs and hips so he couldn't kick out. The icing from the donut was all over Joey's face, making his cheeks and parts of his neck glisten in the light. They were both heaving for breath, rosy cheeked. Clothes were riding up on hot bodies, and eyes glimmered with excitement.

Mokuba narrowed his eyes in annoyance, "Really guys? REALLY?"

The donut rolled out of Joey's shocked lips, his eyes going wide with horror. The whole situation looked so..._wrong_. And in a desperate attempt to explain himself, he cried, "I JUS' WANTED A DONUT!"


	31. First Snow

Author's Note: We got our first snow here! Ahh, I LOVE snow! And I love scarfs. (: So, here's my first snow oneshot, enjoy!

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

First Snow

The excitement in the blonde's voice had actually made Seto turn away from the screen of his computer just to see what Joey was jumping all around about.

"Look, Moneybags, look!" Joey exclaimed, tapping his finger against the clean window's glass over and over. His smile was wide, so wide it was almost a stupid grin, as he stood basically directly against the window, "Is snowin'!"

At the stupidity of his mutt, Seto flipped back around with a snort, "Yeah? So?" He didn't see anything grand about frozen water falling from the sky. It only meant icy roads, and consistently telling the two idiots he lived with not to catch frostbite. Plus, it meant heating bills, because winter was cold and Mokuba complained about the mansion being freezing. Seto's typing remained constant, even though he was secretly brooding over the cost of heating a mansion. _Of course I don't like heating our house, its huge. Anyways, that's what coats and warm clothes are for._

But he continued to pay for the heating anyway, as his soft spot was for his little brother. Although he was beginning to grow a new one.

"Awh, c'mon, Moneybags! Is the first snow a the season!" Joey leaned over Seto's shoulder to whine directly in his ear, "Les' go out an' play! Me n'you can build a snowman!"

"I'm working. And I don't have time to do such a childish thing as building 'snowmen.' Go find Mokuba."

For a moment, the blonde was quiet. He slumped against the brunette, so Seto could see him from the corner of his eye. Then Joey pursed his lips, making a face, "He's out wit' his friends." The dejected look that the blonde expressed reminded Seto vaguely of a puppy who had been left at home alone.

_He seems almost angry but really he's just lonely. Silly dog._ Seto looked back to the computer screen slowly, his eyes focusing back on the numbers and charts that covered the flashing screen.

Earning a cold silence from the CEO, Joey straightened up, giving up, "Fine, I see how this is. I'll play out by myself! Yer missin' out though!" The padded, sock clad footsteps hurried down the hall, leaving Seto to call, "Bundle up!"

He received no response, but quickly looked to the window. _Its not that I'm worried about that idiot, I just have to make sure he listened to me_. Seto told himself,_ its definitely NOT that I'm worried about him-_ But the sight outside cut his thought short.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Seto snapped, using a biting tone that only crept out of its darkest hole in his body to express extreme fury. The brunette abruptly stood from his chair, standing in front of the window, waiting to catch Joey's attention. His work, his numbers, had been completely forgotten.

The blonde shot Seto a cheeky grin, waving his fingers as though he didn't know he was doing wrong. The brunette knew better than that. With a dark, horrifying aura, Seto disappeared from the window view, letting Joey continue to roll snow into a ball for his snowman's bottom.

"JOEY WHEELER! How DARE you go outside in BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES in only a T-SHIRT!" The back door slammed open, denting the wall with a sickening crack. With a large scowl, Seto's eyes narrowed even further at the blonde as he stomped through the snow in his shoes.

"I knew ya'd want to join me," Joey said innocently, his cheeks rosy with the cold air. Another cheeky grin made its way into his features, causing Seto to hesitate.

_Just a lonely puppy..._

Seto roughly wrapped a scarf around Joey's neck, turning his head the other way in an almost embarrassed motion, _I'm ridiculous for getting so flustered over this street boy_, "I brought you a scarf, so don't freeze to death, okay?" He couldn't seem to stay furious with the blonde for very long, it annoyed him to no ends. And yet..

"Thanks, Seto." Joey smiled from under the material, grabbing the scarf with both hands.

It gave him a warm feeling, warmer than heating the whole mansion for every penny he'd ever earned.


	32. Losing Time But Keeping Happiness

Author's Note: Ahh, I'm stoked. Thanksgiving Break is right around the corner. Aaand THAT means... LOTS OF TIME TO WRITE! XD I could giggle with the joy that thought brings me. I haven't had ANY time to focus. Or sleep for that matter. Ahh, well, I'll definitely do a Thanksgiving themed oneshot!

Anyways, (: ENJOY!

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Losing Time But Keeping Happiness

It was beginning to happen regularly, getting closer to always nowadays. He couldn't even believe that the whole entire situation was being torn apart like it was. He had tried to prevent it, in multiple ways. All of which failed, miserably. And he was being to grow frustrated.

Seto had, lately, been continuously late for work in the mornings. And it was only _one_ person's fault. Of course, it could only be _one_ certain person's fault. A newly obtained _mutt's_ fault.

He'd tried cold water, loud noises, empty promises, fans, shouting and _even_ the prospect of food, yet he could NOT make the deep sleeping blonde get up on time. So, in his anger at the failure that hung over his head, Seto slammed the door to the bedroom open.

He knew he'd find Joey sprawled under the covers, hugging a pillow close to his face. The blonde's white tee was riding up his thin, fine body and revealed the smooth tanned skin that Seto knew he loved. But this wasn't the time for admiring.

He had ten minutes. TEN MINUTES to get the dazed blonde up, dressed, cleaned and into the car with some form of breakfast. Seto's eyebrow twitched; _If I'm late one more time...I swear to God..._ He was sick of the looks that expressed his employees surprise and the murmuring.

_"Seto's late again, why is he late? Maybe he has a lover? He's been late everyday of this week now. Maybe he's losing it-"_

It was enough to make him fire several people on the spot. For staring. He just sneered at the memory.

"Joey! Get up! We have to leave!" Seto called as he yanked out a decent looking tee shirt and a pair of jeans for his puppy from the messy closet. And when Seto received absolutely no answer, he shouted, "JOEY! MUTT! Get the hell up!"

Gripping the clothes in his shaking and furious hand, Seto maneuvered his way back to the bed through all the junk across the floor. _Such a messy dog_, he thought bitterly when he made his way over to the sleeping duelist. It wasn't as though Joey's face didn't make Seto want to tease him, or take advantage of the deep slumber that his lover hid inside. It was just Seto's patience was wearing thin with the lack of schedule. He never knew what was going to happen when Joey was around.

Not that he completely hated that either, it made things interesting. But work was work. "Joey, get the hell up." Seto sighed, feeling rather defeated while glancing at his watch. Four minutes. His eyes traveled across the blonde's half uncovered body and an idea sprung into his cynical head.

If _normal_ means couldn't wake his sleeping beauty, then abnormal would just have to do.

Seto threw the clothes onto the bed, leaving them for Joey to handle getting on himself. He probably would put his pants on backwards, but that didn't bother the brunette at the moment.

"Joey," He whispered, running his hands up into the warmth of Joey's white tee shirt, grazing his fingers across tanned skin, "If you don't get up," He took a small nibble on Joey's unguarded neck, "I'll really _wake _you up."

"M UP! 'M UP!" Joey sprung into a sitting position, wearing a shocked and slightly horrified face, but he looked completely awake too. When he saw how close Seto was, the blonde scrambled from the covers and the warmth of the sheets, grabbing his pants, "Ya prick, Seto!"

Seto folded his arms, giving a light shrug. So this is why he loved this dumb blonde. "You wouldn't wake up like a normal person, you naughty dog." His regular smirk had returned to his face, a devious gleam in his ice blue eyes.

"Shuddup, I don' need yer smack talk this early in the morning." Joey yanked on his pants quickly, hurrying over to the door. "C'mon, Moneybags, yer gunna be late again."

Seto grabbed the clean shirt, a smug expression obvious on his face, "Joey."

The blonde quickly frowned, "Wha'?"

He'd known it was going to happen, he had predicted it earlier on. But when Joey had actually pulled it off, well, it had made being late completely alright. "Your pants are on backwards." Seto smirked into the blonde's face as he stepped out past him to the hall. And while it took a moment for Joey to completely realize it was true, the sound of his surprised cry was worth it in the end and Seto knew that even if he was late to every single day of work, well, he was the boss and could do that anyway, and at least he'd be happy with his oblivious blonde puppy to tag along.

Joey chased after him, flustered, "Don' tell anyone abou' this!"

Seto smirked, glancing back at Joey before asking, "What do you want for breakfast? It has to be fast so you don't get a lot of options."

"Don' change the subject, ya sneaky bastard!"


	33. Cold

Author's Note: Its cold here. :0 Very cold. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! (:

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Cold 

Seto wasn't immature.

He definitely was NOT immature, so he knew what he was about to do was against his whole image. But it couldn't be helped, he _needed_ to do it. His fingers had been typing for over several hours, and the weather had gotten so cold. His hands were FREEZING. As though each finger was its own separate ice cube, frozen to the core.

And Joey was just laying there on the couch, lazily basking in his own warmth. Obviously, he was just asking for Seto to slide his frozen hell fingers up his shirt. There could be no other explanation for why the blonde would wear such a loose t-shirt on such a cold and snowy day.

Plus, the blonde hadn't even noticed when Seto had walked into the living room. The brunette _had_ walked in behind the couch, in Joey's blindspot but that didn't mean the mutt shouldn't be more aware of the incoming danger.

For a moment, Seto pondered about actually doing such a thing to his oblivious Joey. But the thought was quickly dispatched; Seto had no _conscience._ How absurd for anyone to even begin to believe such a false truth.

And so, the CEO narrowed the space between himself and the couch, growing closer to thawing his hands out. He glanced up, to make sure the blonde was thoroughly distracted.

Joey was reading a comic book. Inwardly, Seto snorted but a distraction was a distraction. Even if it was something ridiculous like Spiderman. Seto stopped when he was positioned right in front of Joey, the blonde who was lounging along on the leather couch he enjoyed so much.

The shadow of the brunette caught his attention, "Moneybags? Wha's tha- EEEE, COLD!" The screech of pure horror and pain rang through the room as Joey flailed along the couch, struggling to push the freezing hands of Seto away, "IT BURNS! IT BURNS!" His desperation didn't help remove the grip though.

When Seto could feel each finger down to its very tip, he let Joey loose who had long before gone lip, heavy chested. He seemed out of energy, but it was reasonable as he had spent the last three minutes struggling and fighting with a body pumped with adrenaline.

Giving the blonde's forehead a quick kiss, Seto turned to leave the room. There was work to be done, and now he could comfortably go back to typing until he needed Joey's assistance again.

* * *

Author's Note: Don't get me wrong, I love Spiderman.


	34. Movie Night

Author's Note: I. Am. Tired. (: And that's my inspiration.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Movie Night

A large yawn erupted from the blonde's mouth before he slumped farther down onto the pillow, almost to the point of burying his face in the soft cushion. He squeezed it, rolling slightly this way and that to keep himself from drifting right off to sleep on the floor then let out another big yawn.

From the couch, Seto glanced down from the movie on the Tv to the blonde. His chin was resting on his fist, while his legs were crossed; A pose that portrayed his indifference, a pose he used often. He closed his eyes for a mere second and when the ice blue orbs revealed themselves again, they were once again focused on the flashing screen.

"Mutt, if you're tired, you should go to bed."

Joey's eyebrows furrowed while his lips pursed into a pout, "Well, 'm not tired. I wanna finish th'movie, ya let me pick this time." But the response was almost interrupted by another yawn. He quickly rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand to wipe the excess water away which made Seto snort.

"Don't rub your eyes in such a childish way and just go to sleep." The brunette's eyes once again flicked down from the climax of the action thriller to Joey who seemed to have gone limp on the floor.

With a nudge of his shoe into the blonde's leg, an annoyed Seto grumbled, "You picked this stupid movie, at least stay awake and watch it with me."

But Joey was long gone, and when the blonde decided to go to sleep, that was the end of it. Seto knew of deep sleepers, but he'd never met one as deep as Joseph Wheeler.

With a sigh of defeat, Seto stared down at his mutt, "And at the very end of the movie too. If you're going to sleep in such an open place, you're going to get taken advantage of." His cold, methodical eyes roamed across the sleeping body. The thin waist that led to strong, yet fine hips that were slightly revealed due to the lack of a sufficient belt to hold up his pants fully. And earlier that week, Seto had gotten new shirts for the other male, as his old ones were becoming just shreds of clothing hanging from his body. A smooth, bright blue muscle shirt encased the torso of his beautiful mutt, complimenting his skinny frame yet firm arms.

Falling forward to a graceful standing position, Seto stepped to the side of the other boy. He wasn't going to do anything too drastic.

But he _was_ upset at Joey for falling asleep on him.

So the brunette nudged the blonde over onto his back and leaned down. "Joey," The rich, manipulative CEO murmured into the sleeping face of Joey Wheeler, "Punishment will fall upon you for going to sleep on me."

Pushing their lips together, a smirk fell upon his lips, forcing his indifference away for the moment.

_Joey was always more amusing than a movie._

xxx

The clinking of cups brought Joey roaming sleepily into the kitchen. He yawned, running one hand through his messy bed head. The blonde had woken up on the couch, covered with a blanket and a soft warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest.

Seto placed a cup of coffee in front of him on the counter when Joey managed to slide over close enough.

While grabbing the cup in two hands, Joey glanced up to the brunette, "Ey, Moneybags, how'd tha'movie end? I kinda," He let out a nervous chuckle into his cup of steaming coffee, "Fell asleep before th'end."

Fixating his stare on the blonde, Seto replied simply, "With a passionate kiss." His coffee mug then graced his lips before he leaned against the counter, waiting for a response.

Joey began to nod, "Tha'sounds about rig-WAIT, hey! Tha'movie din't have romance!" He jerked up to give the brunette a hard, confused yet crazed stare.

With a wickedly cold smirk, Seto continued to stare down the shocked blonde, "I know."

And that was the last time Joey decided to fall asleep on the brunette after picking a movie, in case the big bad Seto wolf decided it was time to come out and play.


	35. Kodomo

Author's Note: :D Hi. So. I lied. I didn't do a Thanksgiving oneshot. But I felt it would be too generic if I had. I mean, Joey eating all the turkey? XD Too obvious!

WARNINGS: Alternative Universe. I don't normally switch universes, but here I am. If you don't like it, please just know that I warned you.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction. But I do own this universe. And this idea.

* * *

Kodomo

Joey Wheeler loved his profession. He enjoyed giving the gift of knowledge and children were his specialty. He'd been teaching for several years and although he was still young and new to the process, he loved every waking moment of it.

He'd just recently been transferred to a new school and gotten a fresh batch of fourth graders. His students were delightful, smart and the most well behaved children he'd seen in a while. Except for one child, a child Joey Wheeler could not seem to break the defenses of. A child who tortured him from the back of the classroom on a daily basis. An _evil_ child.

And his name was Seto Kaiba.

One of the smartest out of all the students, Seto Kaiba didn't pay attention in class. He didn't listen to Joey or do the worksheets that were handed out, balling them up and hurling them at Joey with little notes written inside. _Unfriendly_ notes. He'd leave in the middle of class, complaining very plainly of a stomach ache and then be found wandering the halls. Playing hand held games was one of Seto's favorite things to anger Joey with. The sound would be on as high as it could go, blasting music throughout the class, becoming a distraction and a menace.

As usual, Seto stayed after school in detention, although he wouldn't do the punishment work. As much as Joey wanted to say he didn't care whether Seto did it or not, he couldn't. It bothered him to no end.

"Teacher," Seto cooed in a moe voice, smooth and brilliantly deceiving.

Joey had heard it far too many times and he'd fallen for it far too many times. So he sighed in a voice weighed with monotone, "Wha'?" He didn't even glance up from the paperwork he was doing. There was far too much to get done for him to get distracted by the problem child.

"Teacher, I drew you a picture on the board."

Joey stiffened, his pen running slightly down the page, leaving a trail of blue. _A picture from Seto,_ Joey frowned skeptically, _how could this not go wrong?_ He slowly set down the thick pen and pushed himself up from the chair with another sigh. _Migh' as well jus' get it over with.._ For the first time in the school year, he was beginning to feel weary. He was beginning to feel old.

And for God's sake, he was only twenty three.

Seto stood near the board, his small arms folded in front of his chest with purpose. One hand held the piece of chalk he used in his delicate fingers. And that cynical smirk doubled with his sharp eyes blue eyes could've burned a hole in Joey's face, Seto was staring so hard.

Before seeing the board, Joey gave his student a look, "Ya look pretty amused with yerself, huh? I bet yer gunna find this real-" His mouth dropped open as the color basically fell from his face. He'd seen the classic 'boob' drawings, the swords and knives and even the occasional penis. But this topped even the most obscene drawings he'd seen for one reason.

Joey was in the drawing.

It wasn't a masterpiece, but it was quite obvious what was going on. There was Joey, kneeling over on his hands and knees, naked right down to his socks. And right behind him looked to be an older, bigger, stronger looking version of his very own student, Seto Kaiba.

Seto's free hand pointed to Joey, "Do you know who this is, Teacher?" His question was laced with that amused tone that turned Joey's stomach over.

Furious and even slightly embarrassed, Joey snatched up the black board eraser as he shrieked, "Of course I bloody know who the hell that is!" He swiped his arm back and forth until the only remains of the former picture were the chalk particles in the air. _Wha' th'HELL is with this kid?_

Seto's voice caught Joey's attention once again when the brunette leered, "Do you know what we were doing, Teacher?"

Joey stared at the boy for a moment, the embarrassment of such a question sinking in. His anger couldn't boil over the fact that it wasn't a topic he particularly shared with children.

And for God's _sake_ he was only _twenty three._

He wasn't old enough to play off a sex question as 'wrestling' and not once had Joey had to deal with a student as _special_ as the one before him now. So he rolled his eyes down to the floor, away from the smirking child sitting on the desk and mumbled, "Course I do."

But he had to regain at least a little control, heaven forbid he let this bratty student get the best of him. "Ya shouldn't draw those kind of things." Joey warned, walking forward as he talked.

Seto didn't seem the least bit alarmed, even with the approaching teacher. He leaned back onto his hands and gave his nails a lazy look, "Oh, _Teacher_," Seto sighed as though Joey were being ridiculous, "Do you know WHY I'm drawing 'those kind of things'?"

Their eyes met and Joey faltered, "N-no?" He murmured. What _was_ it about this child's eyes that made him so unapproachable? What was it that made this grade schooler frighten even his teacher with just a glance?

Seto's hand snapped out at the same time he nimbly slid off the desktop. And with a choking sound from the blonde, Seto had ahold of Joey's tie and had brought the man down to his eye level. Their faces were inches apart, so close Joey could feel Seto's breath on his cheek.

"Joey Wheeler, I plan to marry you." A hiss trailed into Joey's ear, pronouncing each word perfectly. His name sounded so extravagant sliding from between those lips. That voice hummed with such a calm manor. Seto let Joey's tie slide from his hand as he strolled to the door. He leaned down to grab his backpack on the way and, while savoring the shocked expression on his teacher's face, Seto continued, "When I get older, of course." He beamed a perky smile, "Bye, Teacher!" And his shoes could be heard running down the hall.

Joey, with his crooked tie and red face, crumbled to the ground in stupefaction. _Wha' kind of monster would THAT become? What kind of mess have I gotten muself into? MARRIAGE?_

"MARRIAGE?" Joey screeched, suddenly very aware of that word, "SETO KAIBA!" He shouted, the name echoing off the walls of the school, catching the attention of a brunette who smirked.

"I like the sound of that."


	36. Making a Move

Author's Note: I love that song Holiday by Vampire Weekend. (: Christmas is coming! What kind of oneshot am I going to do for it? ^^ Enjoy!

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Making a Move

Joey hated wandering around the mansion trying to find Seto. Yet doing so seemed inevitable to avoid since the brunette could disappear without a trace for hours on end. But then again, Joey didn't usually go looking for him in the first place so it hadn't ever been a problem.

But...

He had just gotten two free tickets to see his favorite band in concert. Clenching the pieces of paper in a nervous fist, Joey glanced into the kitchen. He'd never actually asked Seto on a date before, he'd never needed to. Seto would court him around with or without objections. And now that he was thinking about the whole subject, Joey noticed that Seto always made the move.

After shooting a glance into the basement, which was dark and empty of life, Joey frowned. _Its not my fault he likes makin' moves._ He managed to walk around to the staircase to the upper floor where all the bedrooms were before catching himself on the first stair, i_ight, I could make a move too._

This gave his stomach a bubbly feeling, twisting his insides in a manor that he could only call nerves. It made him feel almost giddy but it also made him bite his lip. _Of course I can make a move._

When he reached the closed door of Seto's room, he could only hold the doorknob in a clammy hand. The bubbly feeling had exploded into a full fluttering and knotting that made him want to pass out yet it was slightly invigorating. A chuckle made it through his parted lips, "Butterflies."

_Cool it Joey, ya got this. Yer a playa._

The blonde let out a quick breath and before he could second guess himself, Joey threw open the door. His honey brown eyes dropped on the figure of the CEO in the king sized bed. _Napping?_

His sock clad feet made padded sounds as Joey worked his way over to the side of the bed. Seto was laying on his side of the bed on his back. His white dress shirt looked messier than usual because he was sleeping in it. The top three buttons had been undone, revealing the perfect skin it usually hid. Seto's skin was softer in color as he wasn't tan like Joey and didn't spend his time running around in the sun. But, the soft paleness to his complexion suited him. The features that usual held a sneer or a hard stare were calm, peaceful. Defenseless.

Joey smiled with another small chuckle, _I guess he IS human afta all._ His eyes flickered back and forth over the face of his sleeping lover. Joey hadn't really noticed it before, but Seto had long, dark eyelashes. _Pretty_. He leaned down, feeling a sudden urge to just take in every perfect detail on the sleeping male's face.

Then it occurred to him. _My chance. This is my chance ta make a move._ Even _with_ Seto sleeping, Joey felt his cheeks burn with fresh embarrassment. Nothing had even happened and yet he was flustered. But that wouldn't stop Joey.

His eyes slid closed, _it doesn't matter tha' he's asleep.._, and Joey leaned in to kiss his beloved brunette. He sucked in his breath, and the inches between them became just centimeters.

"What are you doing?"

Jerking back, Joey's eyes flew open and met Seto's ice blue orbs. The embarrassment engulfed his entire face, making his cheeks burn with a cherry red color. There was nothing he could do but tell the truth. "I..was makin' a move." He admitted, fingering the tickets behind his back.

For a small moment, Seto's reaction was nothing. He didn't move or say anything. Not even an emotion flickered in his ice eyes. Joey fell into silence, before frowning skeptically when Seto began to laugh.

It wasn't a cynical laugh, or just an amused chuckle. It was a full out laugh, that shook the brunette's shoulders and made his eyebrows crease in a non intimidating manor. A flush of pure joy captured Seto's cheeks and the whole expression made Joey brim with joy. He'd never seen Seto laugh before, at least not like that.

His giddiness made him snap, "What's so funny?" The sight was so unusual, so special, it made him nervous. "OW!"

Seto pinched Joey's cheek between his thumb and forefinger, "Since when did _you_ get so cute, mutt?"

Joey whined, "Ouch, Seto! Yer hurtin' my face!" He flailed his arms, feeling the sharp prick of tears in his eyes. Seto may have been a man of the office, but his grip was as strong as steel.

"If you keep this up, I might have to jump you." He pulled the blonde closer, much to Joey's displeasure, "And _this_ is how you make a move." His hand slid to the back of Joey's head and yanked downward.

Their lips met in a simple yet heart pounding kiss. Joey wiped his mouth, scowling at the lounging brunette with a flustered tint to his features, "I know how ta make a move." He objected moodily.

Seto smirked, his hand catching Joey's wrist, "I know, I just wanted to beat you to it." He pulled the arm out from behind Joey's back, his eyes only giving the tickets a quick glance. "Go to the concert with me?"

Joey's eyes widened in a sudden shocking discovery. It wasn't that Seto just _happened_ to make all the moves. It was that he was making SURE _he_ made all the moves.

Well, Joey could attempt to break his winning streak.


	37. Summer Vacation

Author's Note: Busy, busy, busy.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Summer Vacation

Seto unfolded his paper at the table, non-nonchalantly looking over the news of the world with a cup of steaming coffee sitting in front of him. His brother, Mokuba, nibbled on a piece of toast in the seat across from him and Joey was gobbling down a bowl of cereal, filling the room with unnecessary crunching.

The brunette turned the page of the newspaper, then, without looking up, said to the two other boys, "Its summer break. So, besides Joey's strict need for studying," His eyes slowly glided over to the blonde with an accusing look that caused Joey to choke on his food, "What do you guys want to do?"

Milk dribbled down the blonde's chin as he lifted his head with a disgusted frown. "I hafta STUDY durin' the summer? Summer's for playin'! And like," Joey's face contorted to one full of concentration then he jerked up, "Not studyin'!"

"Maybe you should get him a private tutor, brother." Mokuba offered, pushing the last bite of the toast into his small mouth.

Seto smiled simply, folding the paper back up gracefully and in one swift motion, setting it down and grabbing his coffee cup, "But I want to be the one teaching him."

Joey's annoyance became clear with his expression. "I never learn anything when yer the one teachin', Seto."

With a snort and an all-knowing smirk, Seto's attention quickly turned to Joey. He rested his perfect chin upon his palm and cooed, "What are you talking about? You learn _all_ kinds of stuff."

Joey slammed up from the table, rocking his bowl back and forth. In embarrassment, he shouted, "Not th'RIGHT kinda stuff!"

Mokuba sighed slightly, averting his gaze from the two lovers, _too much information, you guys._ So, to put an end to the conversation about Joey and Seto's private lessons, he jumped in, "Why don't we go to the beach?"

Joey plopped back down into his seat, folding his arms, "Nu-uh. I hate th'beach."

"Is it because you can't swim, puppy?" Seto's eyes shimmered with this new, amusing realization. The cold, condescending smirk stared Joey in the face as the blonde began to shake in his seat.

"SO WHA'! I don' NEED ta know how ta swim!" Joey quickly defended himself, slamming his fists on the wooden surface of the table. His cheeks flushed to a rosy shade of pink that spread all the way to his ears. "There's nothin' wrong with me!"

"I didn't say there's anything wrong with you. I can't swim either." Seto replied lightly, leaning forward across the table. Which let his shirt hang loosely off his fine body. His eyes met Joey's slyly, daring him to say anything about Seto's lack of knowledge in the water.

Joey flinched, squeezing his hands into fists against his thighs. To his dismay, with Seto's confession, he felt even _more_ embarrassed than before. _It doesn't sound embarrassing when HE admits it! Wha' th'HELL!_

Mokuba frowned, giving his brother a skeptical look, _if you tease him too much, brother, you'll probably send him to an early what will you do without anyone to play with?_

"So, if that's a no to the beach, what do you want to do, Joey?" Seto asked, putting his coffee cup down, half empty. If it meant getting to spend time with Joey, Seto decided he could take some time off during the summer to spend on vacation.

The blonde's eyes flickered back and forth in thought before his whole being lit up with a wondrous idea. A wide smile found his lips, and his eyes almost seemed to sparkle.

"Guys, let's go ta DISNEY WORLD!"


	38. Mastermind

Author's Note: I think frosted wheaties either need to be smaller in size or have less wheatie in them.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Mastermind 

Joey stared into the sink, concentrating on the dishes he was supposed to wash. He didn't normally do any type of cleaning whatsoever, and being the messy kind of guy he was, he didn't see the need. Especially since Seto had maids around the house. But a deal was a deal.

Joey had argued that he could definitely get the girl at the movie theater to buy him a free drink, and the bet had been thrown down onto the table. So not only did Joey lose most of his pride and dignity as a man, but he was also forced into doing chores that people were actually getting paid to do at the Kaiba household.

"Its not your fault," Seto said casually from behind a book and a pair of reading glasses a few steps over at the table. He had quietly and instantly sat down in the kitchen the moment Joey had started the dishes. He insisted it was to make sure the blonde was cleaning them right.

_As if YOU'VE ever done de dishes,_ Joey glanced back to the reading brunette over his apron clad shoulder. Seto's crisp, light blue, collared shirt (which Seto called 'casual wear') had the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. It was his attire for the earlier movie along with a regular, light blue pair of jeans. Joey had argued that shirts with collars were definitely _not_ casual because Joey _knew_ casual dress but Seto snorted, called out the fact that he would never wear a t-shirt on an outing and that was that. The memory of the girl giggling in his face and then flat-out rejecting him returned sharply and Joey turned his attention back to scrubbing with a frown.

"She was just out of your league," Seto finished his thought while cutting through the silence with the blunt statement, turning the page while keeping a completely straight and emotionless face.

"Shut up, Seto," Joey gripped the sponge tighter in his yellow gloved hands, "I don' need ta hear dat from the likes of ya." He grunted out, feeling his brows knit tighter with a scowl of annoyance and faint embarrassment. _So maybe she was tough game, but SETO picked her outta the crowd and I was sure she din't have no boyfrien'. She was there wit' her friends._

Seto closed the book, smirking down at the table while his nimble fingers removed his reading glasses. _I guess I forgot to inform Wheeler that the girl was indeed there with a date. A lesbian date. Oh well._ His shoulders shrugged slightly with the thought, and he leaned against the counter across from where Joey was standing. It was far more entertaining to watch the blonde struggle with the rejection. Maybe he'd tell him, if it was beneficial.

"Do you remember that one time Marik brainwashed you?" A fox like grin found the brunette's lips, his eyes narrowing on the sharp shoulder blades of his lover. He watched as Joey stiffened then continued washing.

"I don' remember it, I was brainwashed, but yeah, I know whatcha talkin' about. Why're you bringin' that up?"

"How boring of that man," Seto rested his chin on the palm of his hand, closing his eyes for a moment to recall the memory, "To force you to duel Yugi. If I can't beat Yugi then there's no way you could beat him, no matter how many special cards he let you use. Don't you think he should have done something more.._interesting_? If it had been me with that power.." Seto trailed off, waiting for his puppy to follow the trail of poisoned dog treats.

For good reasons, Joey was hesitant about the direction of the conversation. But, he was also a curious boy and was forced to ask, "What would a guy like you do with tha' kinda power?" The rack of clean dishes was growing, but its speed had been decreased dramatically due to distraction.

"I would have forced you to say something cute. Such as, "Treat me gently, I'm delicate." Isn't that a much better thing to do to a person with no free will?"

Joey felt a strong frown pull down at his lips, _sadistic bastard_. He slammed the sponge onto another dish, grumbling, "Don' be stupid."

They shared a minute of silence then Seto agreed, "...You're right," Which led Joey to almost be shocked enough to turn around like a puppy who had been praised for the first time ever, then Seto added, "I'd have made you my sex slave."

"...!" Joey was almost too furious to even get a word out between his clenched teeth and all the while his grip on the plate tightened and tightened. Whipping around, he hurled the plate at Seto's face, "THA'S NOT ANY BETTER!"

Seto moved several inches to the right, only by a lean, and the plate zipped past him, shattering loudly against the wall. "Wheeler, I hoped that you had learned when you're little that throwing tantrums is only a way to get punished."

Clattering back against the counter, Joey waved his hand out in front of himself to disperse the thought, "Er, no! No, I din't mean ta!" He argued anxiously, his eyes widening in fear as the other male walked around the counter like a panther would stalk his prey.

"Looks like I'll be getting my wish _without_ the need of brainwashing you," Seto towered over his puppy who slid closer the ground, holding up his hands in defeat as though to say, 'Spare me, don't eat me alive.' But there was no way in all of hell that Seto was just going to let this perfectly crafted moment, of HIS, to just go to waste.

Flinging the scrawny blonde over his shoulder, Seto made out his way towards the bedroom. Then he paused, a thought washing over him. _I don't think I could be any smarter._ "By the way, Wheeler, that girl we picked out for your dare, well, she was a lesbian. You see, nobody said I ever had to play fair."

Using all of his limbs, Joey kicked and punched and pounded, shouting out, "YOU MONSTER! Who needs ya! Go ta hell!" The grip around his back tightened to ensure that the blonde didn't fall but he continued to travel towards the bedroom.

"Another tantrum, Wheeler? More punishment."

At that moment, Joey had decided to stop competing with the mastermind and to never allow this kind of trickery to ever befall him again. Till tomorrow.


	39. Nostalgia

Author's Note: Sorry for any inconvenience.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Nostalgia

"What are you doing?"

The blonde's eyes flickered up from the computer screen while he pushed a chip into his mouth. One of his knees was pulled up into the chair to his chest, his toes curled mildly around the end of the cushion. The other was used for navigation, his toes skimming the floor. He grabbed the desk, turning himself to the side so he could face Seto with a smile.

"I'm on da computer."

_Obviously_, Seto's eyes flicked across the blonde's posture then to the screen which he couldn't see out of the glare. Then with a natural composed look, his eyes found Joey's face once more. To refrain from sounding over curious, Seto didn't ask what else came to mind. His eyeslids lowered in slight accusation to Joey. _WHAT are you doing on the computer? I want to know._

His socks padded on the floor boards till he stood behind the blonde's chair where his arms folded on top of. Glancing over the messy blonde hair, his eyes took in the whole screen in one swift motion.

Joey's lips met the straw to a small juice box and he leaned back into the chair. His hair softly brushed Seto's hand, "Ne, Seto, watch dis!" He grabbed the mouse, swerving it around to click on the video play button. As the pictures flashed before both their eyes, Joey burst into laughter, "Funny, huh?" He turned his head up so he could see Seto above him. A sparkle of simple minded happiness glimmered in the brown of his eyes.

Seto let his eyes fall down to see Joey with a bland look. _Why can you make me so happy so easily? What's making you tick that I'm so drawn too?_ He sighed into his arms, ruffling Joey's hair slightly. He suddenly felt nostalgic yet somewhat sad. _Do even _I_ understand how much you mean to me?_ He searched the computer screen one last time.

"Did ya not like it Seto?" Joey frowned from behind his juice box, his eyes filling with concern. Those big brown eyes that were only on him, were only watching him. They were his to fill.

Seto rested his head slightly to the side on his arms with a soft outlet of breath. He wanted that much for sure. But his heart ached for everything. If he could have it all, every part of this person, what would he do? Seto was aware of a growing mass inside himself, a mass that filled all the senses till it was almost unbearable. Something people couldn't resist, or make small of. If he could have it all, there wasn't anything he wouldn't trade. _I don't care about anything else anymore._

"Show me another."


	40. Love Isn't Measured by Time

Author's Note: I wanted to do another one with children. But this is not the sequel to Kodomo.

**Warning: AU, a theme of childxchild.**

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Love Isn't Measured by Time

"Hey Joey, my mom said I could come down and play." The small, dark haired boy let show a faint half cock of his lips as though smiling had never come easy and he wasn't fond of the skill anyway. "She told me to be back for dinner though." He kept his bright blue eyes focused on the shorter blonde before him with a glow of childish longing that had been suppressed far too long to be hidden.

Still leaning slightly on his hip so he could pull the plate his mother had just earlier placed for him, Joey beamed back at Seto over his skinny shoulder, "Lucky! My momma made watermelon." He yanked it to his side, revealing four perfectly cut pieces of red and green fruit. His eyes found Seto once more, big and brown and looking for praise.

Seto with softening eyes, plopped down on the other side of the plate with a tiny, "Hup." Then he threw himself into a lazy pose, resting on his hands and kicking his dangling feet over the side of the porch wood. "Then I arrived just in time, huh? Otherwise, you'd eat it all."

The blonde child groaned in mild embarrassment, cheeks pink with the remark, "I would not!"

With a small chuckle, Seto said no more. He felt relaxed, comfortable in the oldest Wheeler's presence as though he could once again feel human. He'd had no need to cry or laugh or run around till he met Wheeler. He'd had no need to feel at all.

_The blonde had walked or more like stumbled (a slow learner) over to the reading brunette demanding, "Whya readin' on a day like dis?" Then he offered his small, pudgy fingered, four year old hand, "Les' play together! I'll even let ya pick da game." The child boasted._

_Seto flat out refused. He didn't want any part of the dirt covered brat and he _certainly_ wasn't about to get _himself_ messy. Mother would first have a cow hearing Seto had been roughing about outside then she'd throw a fit at needing to have the stains removed from his clothes._

_So, Seto Kaiba yanked his book right back up into his face and assumed the mutt-like child would get the message and meander off once more._

_But he soon found out how wrong he was. Little hands crawled up his thighs and two big brown eyes popped in front of his pages. They glimmered with magical innocence. Seto was so momentarily shocked by the natural affection that he could do nothing but stare._

_"Well, whatcha readin'?" The small boy chirped, plopping down into Seto's lap, his head resting back on the older's chest. And after shifting his fingers through several pages he exclaimed, apalled, "Where's all dey pictures?"_

_Seto felt the other's warmth touch his skin and felt the simple kindness arouse his aching chest. It was good to have someone who _cared._ "I'll read it to you, if you sit still."_

_As if it had been an obvious decision, the boy nodded, "Don' forge' ta make the voices."_

Seto didn't believe in love at first sight but he sure as hell believe in love-in-a-very-short-period-of-time.

His eyes followed Joey slowly, drinking in the small tanned limbs, the smudged, dirty tee, the bandage under one cheek from falling out of the tree up at the top of the tree and the one on his elbow that accompanied it. His eyes couldn't tear themselves away from the other boy's nimble reach and the smiling lips that met a piece of watermelon.

"Don'cha want any, Seto?" Joey prodded, naive to the smothering looks and even to the juice running down his chin.

"No, I'll just share a bit of yours." Seto's tongue met the watery pink droplet and followed the trail of liquid up until Joey's lips. He knew somewhere, inside himself, there was something wrong with his actions towards the smaller. But since he started feeling, the rush, the _pleasure_, it over ran that all-knowing instinct. Seto knew he loved Joey so much that he wanted to do _those_ things. He didn't care what was right and wrong, only what was Joey.

The blonde's cheeks were flaming when Seto relaxed back onto his side of the plate. He grumbled into his watermelon, "Don' do that, makes my tummy feel weird."

"Makes your tummy feel weird?" Seto repeated slowly, resting his chin on his palm gracefully. He knew exactly what sensation Joey was experiencing and just the thought of it made him jittery with excitement.

"Yeah, all...grumbly. Like I'm hungry or somethin'." Joey muttered then chomped into his watermelon slice viciously to dispel the 'hungry feeling.'

Seto could almost chuckle with the cute ignorance his first love possessed. He was three whole years older and a world away in thought process. But he was still a child who wanted something more than anything. Something that was sitting right in front of him, quite definitely in his reach. He couldn't think of any reason whatsoever not to go for it.

So he did.

Seto's hands met shoulders and Joey grunted with his impact on the floor, still completely unaware of the lewd intentions involving him. He slid open his cautious eyes one at a time, "Seto..?"

Pinning the two tanned hands down to the floor and knocking the watermelon from hand, Seto smiled while his eyes roamed. He'd been holding himself back and he was well aware he shouldn't do this kind of thing with people around. But Joey's mother was somewhere else in the house, expecting a normal play-date between normal friends.

Seto was not ordinary. And this entire feeling was not normal and he was just looking for a bit of a taste. He'd seen the expression of love, of lust, when he caught his father cheating on his mother late one night. Such a sight, he couldn't just draw his eyes away. It captured his thoughts and the image was something burned into his heart. Should he hate his father for looking for lost passion? Should he blame his mother for not being there for her family? Why was it so beautiful yet so wrong? The room, illuminated by the dim flicker of candles, was filled with her scent of flowery perfume and something far stronger, something that caught Seto's body's attention. This was it. He knew what this was suddenly and he swallowed. His eyes followed her up and down motions, her deep red smiling lips and her long, gorgeous hair.

His dad became nervous when Seto had called him on having the other woman around. He quickly explained that when people are special you want to do certain things with them. He said that when you want to have someone with you forever it was called 'love.' And he said not to tell mother, no matter what.

This was exactly what he wanted. And he wanted it with Joey.

"Mmf," Joey squeezed his eyes closed at the contact between their lips. It was a weird sensation, tingling throughout his entire body and making his head feel lighter than air.

Seto was kissing him. This was his first kiss.

Joey managed to turn his head away to suck in oxygen and gasp out, "What are ya doing with yer tongue? It makes me feel strange." He felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment, although he didn't understand why. He just _felt_ shy all of a sudden.

Seto straightened out then shifted back to get up off the other boy, "Just an expression that you give to friends you like a lot," He brushed imaginary dirt from his pants watching Joey roll over to also sit up.

He looked enlightened, mouth ajar with new, surprising knowledge, "Ah, I didn't know that." Then when he saw Seto's outstretched hand, he slipped his inside the older boy's naturally.

"But you can only do it with me," Seto warned, giving Joey a commanding point straight at the nose, making the younger boy cross his eyes to look.

While Seto led him up the path towards the sunset illuminated tree and tire-swing, Joey asked over the sound off their footsteps on gravel, "Why?"

"Because you and me, we're special. And we can only do special things with each other." Seto said, letting Joey's hand go so the boy could run up farther ahead of him.

Even though Seto had such strong feelings for the blonde, Joey was still only a child. And even he was still young. But he wasn't ordinary and he could wait. He could wait a really long time. But surprise filled his eyes when his pinky and a smaller tanned one intertwined.

"Seto, don't look so sad, I promise to only do those things with ya." The nine year old grinned cheekily, squeezing Seto's pinky for effect, "Forever and ever. Because me 'nd you are special!" He trotted on ahead again then called over his shoulder, "I'll push ya on the tire-swing if ya race me!"

He was sure that he loved Joey, but that didn't mean he couldn't still enjoy his recaptured youth a bit longer. Someday soon, he felt, that he would need to do something big and _become_ something big. But for now he would be happy with just beating Joey up to the tire-swing.

"You got a head start you brat!"


	41. Ties and Punks

Author's Note: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Ties and Punks

The invitation had been one of a fancy sort. Completed with the frail scent of lavender and the posh cloth frill around the edges of the card. Seto found it thoroughly unrealistic, to make such an expensive thing for someone to just throw away the second the moment was over, but he was also pleased.

Anyone who was anyone got invitations that looked such.

Although at the end of the drawn out yet finely written script, he felt a lump form in his throat, it told him _specifically_ to bring his lover. He hadn't been expecting such a personal message to come up and it made him worry. They wanted him to bring _Joey_? To a _dinner party_? This woman was positively mad.

But he wasn't about to embarrass himself with the excuse, 'Oh the Mrs. got sick right before!' and he prepared for the upcoming night.  
Seto had bought the collared shirt and even had it professionally clean and ironed to perfection and yet...

Joey still looked like a punk.

The buttons, luckily, seemed to all be in place but Wheeler's shirt wasn't tucked into his slacks and only hung limply from his thin body. Both the sleeves had been bunched at the elbow sloppily. And while Seto had given the former gang member an expensive tie to wear to the formal event, it was nowhere to be seen by the naked eye. The collar looked like a bad attempt to be from a wanna-be-punk band, jutting up at weird angles and places. To top it all off, Joey had rocked his chair back onto two legs, resting the back dangerously against the table's edge. He chomped noisily on a piece of gum, skimming through his cards lazily.

He could _not_ go to the party like _that_.

Seto strode over with determination in his step and a hard look in his eyes. He _would_ have his way this time round, whether it was easy or not. Just with his oncoming movement, he caught Joey's attention.

He flashed Seto that wily, untamed grin that had his raw charm to it, "We leavin' soon?"

With a hand, he motioned Joye up out of his chair, "Come here." He immediately flattened and smooth out his lover's collar, looking down upon the shirt, "Where's your tie, Wheeler?" His tone had the slight incessant nag of a scold.

A cheekiness befell Joey's features, his eyes light with unkempt pleasantness, "Don' know." He chirped with a peppy shrug.

Set couldn't help but keep himself from locking his jaw in arising frustration. The blonde just _wouldn't_ let this be easy. "Joey." He grunted seriously, raising one fully aware eyebrow to the shorter. Then he opened his palm, all at once receiving a hesitant, sheepish, balled up tie from a naughty puppy's pocket.

"It was chokin' me." Joey protested with a whine of annoyance but all the same he let Seto retie it around his neck.

"You look like a mess," Seto, now at a closer range, noticed several buttons near the end were off set, bubbling up the white-blue material. His finger nimbly began to undo then re-button them all, sighing with the clumsiness of his lover. If he wanted something done his way, he'd obviously have to do it by himself.

Joey watched with a simple cheerfulness. He ruffled his hair with a quick shimmy of his head, "Gotta be primp and proper." He cooed with a small smirk. Seto's steely eyes challenged his mockery.

Then they rose back from the last button with one fluid motion to Joey's chipper face, "You aren't ready at all." He yanked Joey close by a grip on the front of his pants, "I don't know what you'd do if I wasn't around."

The blonde felt a small wave of sharp pleasure rush through his body from the impact of their two bodies ramming together. Curious, he looked up to Seto, searching for a sign that it was meant to be sexual. He found a smirk on the brunette's face then was roughly handled so Seto could tuck in the blonde's shirt, hurting the mood just a bit.

"_After_ the party, you horny dog." He soothed, obviously aware of the heated look he'd just received. Then he snapped back into his cold demeanor, straightening out his already perfect tie with a professional sharpness that only a business shark could have.

With such a response, Joey couldn't help but groan in sheer disappointment, "C'mo-" but he was cut short by a hot, white inducing, full out, tongue ravishing kiss. It was overflowing with so much passion and built up steam that Joey arched back into Seto's strong arms almost immediately with a moan. Knees buckling in unexpected yet tingling pleasure, Joey gripped the back of Seto's shirt in a desperate hope to keep upright. But he was soon lifted into the air by a strong force along his thighs, instinct driving him to comply with snaking his legs around Seto's waist.

The kiss blossomed to a lust-inspiring, limbs tangling, hair ruffling physical exchange. Joey's back met the crinkling leather of a car and with one simple, yet painfully obvious pause, Seto was upon him once more and the party was approaching.

Even though he'd been the one to tuck it in, Seto was forcing Joey's shirt back to to reveal the gorgeous, flawless chest of the boy under him. He felt the excitement grip his heart as the shirt protested, making it a slight struggle. They're lips crashed against one another's once more, tongues pushing and fighting for the dominance that each thought they so rightly deserved.

Seto had long ago found plenty of Joey's weak spots, and his kisses trailed down farther and farther on the tanned throat of his lover until he reached the base. Then without further thought, he nipped at the skin, using his teeth and tongue to inspire the skin to flush to a bright red and to hear Joey let out a whimper he attempted to hold back.

"If you hold your voice in, I'll bite." Seto half groaned into the crook of Joey's neck then sent more kisses back up the jawline.

"You'll bite me anyway," Joey managed to say through his gasps and grunts. This response made Seto smile and kiss his puppy all over again.

Stepping from the limo, the two boys chuckled. It'd only been a ten minute trip but they managed to recover quite well. Joey's step had a hop to it, and he grinned to Seto while saying, "Hey, Seto.."

The brunette looked down to him and then half frowned in surprise when Joey's had brought him to a stop right before entering the building. Cold feet maybe? People were crowded about and he could see the gaggle of reporters and their crews. The blonde's sparkling brown eyes mischievously flicked up to him and before he knew it, Joey had begun to redo his tie for it had truly been a mess.

"What _would_ you do without me?" Joey half mocked him, smiling brilliantly.

The next minute they had cameras flashing from every side. _Anybody who was anybody_, Seto thought whilst putting his arm around his lovely lover.


	42. Mrow

Author's Note: Finally I'm back. I've noticed some of you really want a sequel to **Kodomo**? Is this true? Do you all really want me to write a sequel?

**WARNING: **AU, Animal!Seto

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

Mrow

Joey had adopted a new member to his one person family. He knew being a student that he really should have been focusing on himself but he could live off ramen noodles and tap water if it meant he would be coming home to someone. Even if that person was a cat.

Cats these days weren't too much anyway, so he'd found a beautiful brunet for a reasonable price at one of the street corner shops. When he didn't have a collar and leash, he resorted to holding his cat's hand to lead him home. Seto, his kitty, was going to be an indoor cat anyway. He'd had all the beginning necessities besides the collar and introduced Seto to his new life. Simple yet sweet.

Although coming home nowadays made Joey nervous and he always hesitated right at the apartment door, book bag in tow and mind numb from his classes. He'd never been the smartest kid. Joey nibbled on his bottom lip and sighed, pushing the key into the lock. He tried to mask his fluttering heart with a less than anything expression, saying, "I'm home-mmph." His eyes quickly squeezed closed in instinct when he felt the hot heat of a tongue to his lips, running teasingly over the same place he'd been biting at just moments earlier.

Seto's sharp blue eyes met his when he cracked open his own slowly and a devious little smirk found his cat's face, "Welcome home." He cooed, flashing Joey his sharp canines when he cocked his head to the side and almost, _almost_ nuzzled his master's face.

And while Seto dropped gracefully down onto the couch, tail flicking lazily about, Joey's cheeks burned crimson. Tossing his school bag down, he furiously snapped, "I told ya not ta do that!" He could even still feel the lingering wetness of his cat's tongue and when he went to wipe it off, his fingers hesitated and he just left it alone.

Seto leaned his head over the arm of the couch, staring at Joey upside-down, "What? Welcome you home?" Then he absently looked at his claws, which had been trimmed down exceptionally because Seto had a passion for scratching things. But not just any old thing, Seto had a thing for scratching _Joey_. "Did you bring me a present?"

Attempting at the cold shoulder to punish his misbehaving feline, Joey slammed the apartment door closed and walked for the kitchen, "No." He glanced around the tiny area then pulled out a cup-of-noodles from the cabinet.

He could hear Seto in the other room, calling, "I was lonely while you were out."

Joey rolled his eyes, preparing to boil some water and grab some chopsticks. When he walked back into the room, noodles in tow, he grunted, "Whatever. Ya don't get lonely, ya get bored."

Seto shifted up so Joey could drop onto the couch next to him and the blond flipped on the television. His cat was most definitely smiling, grinning was more like it and in the flashing of the TV he looked absolutely devilish. "I get bored because I miss having you around." His tail, soft, furry, trailed along the back of Joey's neck. "You should just quit school and stay home."

Shivering, although he tried to fight it, Joey made to bat Seto's tail away quickly. Before his cat caught on to how much Joey enjoyed his tail drawing along his body. "Quit, I'm eatin'." He tore off the top paper, steam rising up into his face, "And I'm not leavin' school." He began slurping hot chicken flavored noodles, eyes absently watching the TV.

Seto stared at his master for a moment, tail lingering close to Joey's thigh, flicking up and down in thought. Then he leaned in, he'd always been a fan of chicken, and murmured, "Give me a bite." His mouth opened, close to Joey's open mouth and caught the blond in surprise.

"Ah, no, Seto, stop! You have food in your bowl!" Joey protested and he quickly yanked the noodles out of reach, "Bad kitty." His scold was more of an angry pout than anything but he made sure to at least give the cat a glowering stare for a moment or two before hesitantly bringing his cup back down. He pulled some more noodles into his mouth, expecting that Seto would give in and either go eat his own food or just continue lounging.

His chewing slowed as a furry prod pushed him to look towards his pet, "Hey-" He frowned through his food before a hot and hungry mouth interrupted him. He could feel that overheated tongue fishing through his mouth, enjoying the taste of chicken and noodles. Lips pressed against his own, reopening his mouth when he half-heartedly tried to close it. His mild complaints were lost in a flurry of tongue, tooth and mouth, Seto furiously tasting everything. Sinking down to his elbows, one hand still gripping the styrofoam cup, Joey's tongue met Seto's and he could taste his own food inside his cat's mouth.

Then it was over and Joey was left heaving, red in the face and mind lost in a whirlwind of pink tongue flashing through his head. His lips felt swollen, a reminder that it was _wrong_ to do such things with your pet. His foot attempted to kick the brunet but he missed and only mumbled, "Ya weren't supposed ta do dat anymore."

All Joey heard was Seto's voice because he couldn't draw his eyes away from the ceiling. "You're not supposed to enjoy it then." Then his cat's amused smirk appeared before him, ears perking with listening to his master's breathing. For a moment, they stared at each other before Seto draped his nimble body over his master's tired one. Joey grunted with the weight but he let it slide, allowing his cat to lie over top him.

Seto slipped the cup from Joey's hand and murmured, "Take a nap with me. A cat nap." He smiled and placed the noodles on the coffee table, before returning his head to the perfect spot between Joey's shoulder and neck. The soft heat of his master's body started his purring and his arms made their way to wrap themselves around Joey's body.

"You have your own bed." Joey grumbled softly but let his head rest back with the purring vibrating through his chest. He sighed and absently scratched behind his cat's ears, "I have homework ta finish." His second excuse to get up went ignored and Joey rolled his eyes, smiling, "Fine. Pretend to be asleep so I'll stay."

A soft chuckle rumbled through the purring.


	43. Kodomo: Generation Two

Author's Note: oh it's short and sucky? i hadn't noticed

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or any of the characters in this fanfiction.

**WARNING: **AU, slight implied adultxchild relationship

* * *

Kodomo: Generation Two

He had once also been just a amateur at the mercy of the people and school children around him. There had been a time where he was flustered by the world of teaching, scared of making mistakes, nervous about failure and paperwork. He'd been bullied, teased and prodded thoroughly. Times before had led to frustrated tears and long nights. Being a teacher was a lot more infuriating than he'd first thought.

But Joey had grown and for god's sake, he _wasn't_ just twenty three anymore. It had been eight years since that fateful boy had first joined his class, had terrorized him and given him hell on earth. A monster from the beginning, Seto Kaiba. Joey had somehow managed to have the boy in his class three years in a row and was given more sexual harassment than any of the female students during swimming class.

Pictures, blackmail, doodles, notes, just about anything a fourth grader, fifth grader and sixth grader could come up with and more filled Joey's first three years at his job. He could still find pictures of himself in his old books if he looked hard enough. Which did in fact make him feel somewhat nostalgic but it did also embarrass and infuriate him. Especially when they were shots from the teacher's locker room. How the dark, mysterious Kaiba boy made it in there was still a shrouded secret.

But these times were different. Eight years was plenty of experience and after Seto, nothing surprised Joey anymore. A new cycle of students had just graced him, summer winding up into the school year once more. He was feeling usually optimistic about the year. New students, new opportunities and another year of his adored job. Even the somewhat grinding of his nerves during the start-up couldn't bring down his pep.

Walking up to the front with the name roster in hand, Joey shot his new fourth graders a charming smile. "Hello, class. I'm Joseph Wheeler and I'll be yer homeroom teacher dis year."

Greeted by the familiar chorus of young voices, Joey took to glancing over the roster. Such a delightful list of students, he was truly seeing a bright year. Without any disturbance, Joey found the first day to be quite promising. Plus, he had found an incredibly bright young man who helped him propel his class forward.

"Mokuba?" Joey glanced up from his paperwork, surprised that the child hadn't left for home yet. The two were alone in the classroom, homeroom having ended fifteen minutes ago. "Are ya waitin' for someone?"

The raven-haired child shifted in his desk to smile at his teacher and he nodded once, "Yeah. My big brother is coming to pick me up today. He said he would be a little late. He's the one taking care of me." The child's face grew a healthy, responsive glow from the topic of his sibling, his smile widening.

Joey's pen paused over the spot for his signature while he returned the smile, "Alright, jus' had to make sure." He happily returned to signing and marking up files, pleased that he would be able to meet his most promising student's closest family member. What a start to the year! He most certainly had been blessed by the Gods!

The snapping of dress shoes on tile brought both their heads up and Joey standing. He attempted to brush down any wrinkles in his shirt and straighten his tie, hoping to make a good first impression. His hand worked it's way out to shake as the door slid open and Joey immediately responded, "Hello sir, it's so very nice to meet-"

The sight of the person before him sent Joey into a shocked, silent fit of horror. He couldn't even manage to pull his hand back so the man nicely fit his larger into the shake, "You've improved since you last tried to greet somebody. I remember back when you didn't even notice someone had walked into the room until they were waiting at your desk." The suave young man holding Joey's hand smirked at the memory and patted Joey's knuckles affectionately.

Joey yanked his hand free as though Seto's had burned him and stuttered, "But ya-how-why-" The words streamed from between his lips in a babble and he turned to watch his former student glide between desks to his younger brother's. The sight of the once small boy stole Joey's breath. How had he grown so _tall_? Joey was well aware of their now present height difference and those broad shoulders. The boy actually looked _professional_ in his nicely pressed suit. The structure of Seto's face had grown leaner, stronger and more striking. Joey felt his pulse pick up in his throat.

While looking over Mokuba's sketch from their earlier art class, Seto's fierce blue eyes narrowed on Joey's flushed cheeks. If at least one thing hadn't changed, his condescending tone and stare. "You didn't realize we had the same last name, _Mr. Wheeler?_" Seto barely had to mouth Joey's name to earn a response, the once pink cheeks of his old teacher burned a vibrant red.

"It's been eight years! Who'd take notice of something like that! And don' say my name like that!"

Seto pulled himself into a seat next to Mokuba, coyly looking Joey over. A vague memory of an unfriendly, disturbed child sitting in the same chair flashed before the blond's eyes and brought him a sudden rush of deja vu. It almost knocked him to the ground.

The brunet drew a flirty little heart on the desk, smiling. But Joey knew that stare, it was deceptive and controlling and most of all, it was sadistic. He had learned about that little nasty trait early on. "It's been a _long_ eight years; I've missed you."

Joey narrowed his own eyes on him, reading the subtext with disgust. _I've missed locking you in the equipment closet and bribing you for your freedom._ Appearance wise, yes, Seto had changed. Personality wise, nada. Nothing different.

"You guys know each other?" Mokuba cut in, voice light with pleased surprise. He glanced between the two and cut the staring contest short although Joey noted Seto's secret after glance.

"Joey was my teacher too." Seto agreed, resting back into his chair with a daring fold of his arms.

"Don't say my name so informally; I'm still older than you." Joey quickly scolded, trying to regain control of the situation. _I've been alive longer than de two of ya combined!_

"Oh, sensei." Seto cooed, voice dripping with erotica. "Scold me again."

Joey's hand slammed in front of Seto's face, startling the brunet enough to make him jump. He watched Joey closely while the older leaned down to his ear. "_Not_ in front of the child." He hissed angrily before clearing his throat and stiffly muttering, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Kaiba." He wanted the brat gone, and he wasn't thinking about Mokuba.

The two stood, Mokuba grabbing his drawing and his backpack. He gave Joey a quick bow before running out into the hall to be free of the school day. He exclaimed, "Hurry up brother!"

Seto, on the other hand, lingered at the doorway. When he finally regained Joey's attention, he smirked and said, "Do you know the real reason why I enrolled Mokuba in this school? Out of all the private schools in the area?"

Joey sent him a questioning, but suspicious look.

"I'm keeping my promise. I've come back to marry the shit out of you, Joey Wheeler. And don't worry, I'm completely legal now."


End file.
